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Tackling Tech. 



Suggestions for the Undergraduate 
in Technical School or College 



By 



LAWRENCE WICKES CONANT 




NEW YORK 

THE RONALD PRESS COMPANY 

1922 



U^fsV 



Copyright, 1922, by 
Lawrence Wickes Conant 



All Rights Reserved 



SEP 27 ^2 



0CI.A6834O6 



To the Memory of 

DR. RICHARD COCKBURN MACLAURIN 

Whose self-sacrificing service brought 
into being "New Technology " 



FOREWORD 

Life ordinarily is, and should be, an educational 
process from firs^ to last. Experience begins in 
the very earliest days of life, and continues 
throughout all its stages. The earlier years may 
be termed the ''formative period," and it is cer- 
tainly important that during this period proper 
guidance and the inculcation of wise habits and 
principles should be the foremost consideration. It 
is well, then, that the experience of those who 
have traversed the road should be made available 
for those who are just beginning the journey. 
Everyone who has had the opportunity of college 
training must certainly realize that his course 
would have been more effective and satisfactory 
had there been available to him the best and 
wisest advice beforehand. From this it follows 
that any method or medium which can present to 
the undergraduate student intelligibly and in an 
interesting fashion for utilization such experience 
as comes from men who have been closely and 
recently in touch with the personal problems 
which he will have to face, cannot fail to be of 
great value and assistance. 

The book to which I am pleased to contribute 
this foreword is the outcome of careful analysis 



vi FOREWORD 

and discussion, by the author, of the several sub- 
jects considered in its sixteen chapters, and it 
embodies, for the benefit of students and their ad- 
visers, much valuable information in a convenient 
form. It emphasizes very strongly the things 
the undergraduate will need in his course of train- 
ing as a preparation for his later life, professional 
or otherwise, and at the same time brings strongly 
before him the fact that his college life and work 
are indeed a very important part of his whole 
life itself. It encourages him to apply to his 
problems systematic work and gives him val- 
uable counsel as to the relations of the different 
activities, social and otherwise, in which he may 
share along with his professional or technical 
training. 

What measure of success the author and those 
who have assisted him may achieve in the task 
they have set before them will, it is hoped, prove 
that the effort has been worth while. 

Elihu Thomson 
Lynn, Massachusetts, 
September i, 1922. 



AUTHOR'S NOTE 

The suggestions here presented, the outgrowth 
originally of the author's personal experience as 
an undergraduate, have been checked and broad- 
ened by the criticism of men in responsible touch 
with student life in a number of institutions. 
While a few of the topics discussed, such as 
"Summer Work, Getting a Job and Making 
Good," apply more definitely to students in the 
later years of college or technical school, most 
of the chapters will be found useful throughout 
the undergraduate course, and for high school 
students preparing to enter college or a technical 
school. This is the case, for example, with 'Tre- 
paring for a Technical Education," the chapter 
on "Health and Energy," and those on "Per- 
sonal Finance." 

The author is deeply sensible of the kindness 
of the busy men who have taken time for per- 
sonal consideration of this discussion of under- 
graduate problems. He is under peculiar obli- 
gation to the officers and teachers of the Massa- 
chusetts Institute of Technology for their con- 
tinued encouragement and assistance, particularly 
Dr. Elihu Thomson, Acting President ; Dr. Davis 
R. Dewey, head of the Department of Engineer- 

vii 



viii AUTHOR'S NOTE 

ing Administration; Professor H. G. Pearson, 
head of the Department of English; and Pro- 
fessor Erwin H. Schell, head of the Department 
of Economics, who is responsible, indeed, for 
the first conception of the book. 

Acknowledgment should be made also to the 
deans and other representatives of other educa- 
tional institutions — especially to Colonel Ed- 
ward K. Strong, Jr., and Messrs. C. M. Nichols 
and C. C. Crawford, of the Carnegie Institute of 
Technology ; Professor Richard Wellington 
Husband, Associate Dean of Dartmouth Col- 
lege; Dean Raymond Walters of Swarthmore 
College; and Dean L. P. Mitchell of the Engi- 
neering College of Syracuse University. 

Lawrence Wickes Conant 
Cambridge, Massachusetts, 

September i, 1922. 



CONTENTS 



Chapter Page 

I Preparing for a Technical Education . 3 

Minimum Preparation Required 
Exeeding the Requirements 
Advantages of Additional Preparation 
College Preparation for a Technical Educa- 
tion 
College Men in Technical Schools 
Wlhat College Preparation Is Best 
Later Advantages of College Preparation 
Experience and Maturity Through Work 

II How TO Plan Your Time and Do Your 

Work 15 

Meeting New Conditions 

Developing a Plan 

Co-operation with Instructors 

Necessary Information and Materials 

Taking Time to Plan 

Building a Schedule 

Analyzing Your Work and Time 

Making the Most of Your Time 

Arranging the Hours of Preparation 

Incentives 

Necessary Changes in the Schedule 

Making Your Plan Work 

Other Methods 

A Means to an End 

III How TO Concentrate 31 

Beginning Right 

Physical Preparation for Study 

Mental Preparation 

Working at Maximum Efficiency 

Interruptions 

How to Study a Subject 

Tested Methods for Memorizing 

Putting Methods into Practice 

Developing the Critical Attitude 

The Seven Devils of Obstruction 

ix 



X CONTENTS 

Chapter Page 

IV How TO Take Notes and Use Them . . 41 
The Personal Equation in Note-Taking 
Systems of Note-Taking 
Selecting a Permanent Equipment 
Making Note-Taking Worth While 
Notes of Permanent Value 
The Use of Shorthand in Note-Taking 
Systematic Filing of Notes 
Usual Methods of Filing Notes 
A Practical Method Which Gives Good Results 
Adaptations to Special Methods 
Storing of Notes 

V Special Tools and Equipment ... 52 

Obtaining Necessary Equipment 

Investing in a Typewriter 

Learning to Use a Typewriter 

The Touch Method 

Mastering the Method 

Foresight in Learning Typewriting 

Selecting a Typewriter 

Using the Slide Rule 

A Sample Calculation on the Slide Rule 

Selecting a Slide Rule 

A Pocket Memorandum 

A Practical Card File 

Miscellaneous Equipment 

VI How TO Pass Exams 66 

Common Sense Methods 

Proper Use of Textbooks 

Proper Use of Notes 

Making up Back Work 

Preparation by Tutoring 

Reviewing in Discussion Groups 

Planning an Exam. Week 

A Method Which Works 

Exercise and Recreation 

Making Ends Meet 

Deciding When to Study for Each Exam. 

Various Methods 

Summary 

VII Health and Energy 78 

Maintaining Sound Health 



CONTENTS xi 

Chapter Page 

Getting Sufficient Sleep 
The Gospel of Relaxation 
Importance of Physical Exercise 
Effects of Lack of Exercise 
Finding Time for Exercise 
What Exercise to Take — Walking 
Home Exercises 
Bathing and Keeping Clean 
Getting a Thorough Work-Out 
Common Sense in Eating 
Prevention of Colds 

VTII General Studies — Reading and Self- 

ExpREssioN 91 

The Importance of Non-Technical Courses 
Getting the Most from General Studies 
Selecting Optional Courses Wisely 
Self-Expression for the Engineer 
Means of Improvement 
Establishing a Goal of Self-Expression 
The Student Engineer and Good Literature 
Finding Time to Read 
What to Read 
Specific Suggestions 

IX Activities 105 

The Appeal of Activities in College 

Activities for the Freshmen and the Seniors 

Studying Activities to Advantage 

Activities Analyzed 

Benefits Derived from Training 

The Activities Laboratory 

Special Advantages from Certain Activities 

An Example 

Resume 

X Playing the Activities Game . . .114 

Getting a Good Start 
Having an End in View 
Tackling Detail Duties 
Studying the Other Fellow 
Getting the Habit of Success 



xii CONTENTS 

Chapter Page 

XI How Much Time to Devote to Activities 119 
Giving Activities Their Proper Place 
Going Out the First Year 
Waiting Until the Second Year 
The Danger of Overloading 
Temptations Met 
Avoiding an Overload 

XII A Technical Education as a Business 

Investment 126 

Difficulties and Advantages of the Com- 
parison 

Technical Education versus Four Years' 
"Experience" 

Necessary Assumptions 

Tables of Comparison 

Computing the Difference in Cost 

Calculating the Money Value of a Technical 
Education 

What it Costs to Loaf 

What it Costs to Cut Classes 

D'oes the Investment Pay? 

XIII Financing an Education 136 

Making the Two Ends Meet 

Importance of Good Marks— Scholarships 

The Additional Cost of Making Up Failures 

Borrowing Money for an Education 

Ways of Borrowing While in College 

Reducing the Risk 

Borrowing Too Little , 

An Unwise Policy 

Borrowing Too Much 

Directions for Computing Payment of Loan 

Earning Money in College 

Summary — A One- Year Program 

XIV Personal Finances and Expense Ac- 

counts ... . 149 

Why Keep an Expense Account? 

Budgeting Your Expenses 

Satisfaction from Businesslike Methods 



CONTENTS xiii 

Chapter Page 

Practical Value of Knowing How to Keep 

Accounts 
Employer's Point of View 
Learning to Save in College 
Choosing an Accounting Method to Meet 

Your Needs 
The Simplest Cash Account — The Record 

Journal 
Analyzing Your Expenditures 
The Columnar Expense Account 
Standardizing Expenditure and Income 
A Financial Control Sheet 
Developing a Financial Control Sheet 
Description of a Sample Control Sheet 
Advantages and Disadvantages 
Double-Entry Accounting 
Simple Double-Entry Accounts 
Outline of a Practical Double-Entry System 

XV Summer Work, Getting a Job and Making 

Good 174 

A Definite Aim 

Summer Work and Choosing a Profession 

Specific Gains Through Summer Experience 

Obtaining Proper Experience 

Suggestions for Summer Work 

Suggested Programs 

Getting the Job 

Planning Your Campaign 

Letters of Application 

Persistence 

XVI The Other Things in Liife .... 188 

Girls and Their Proper Sphere 

Overdoing the Matter 

The Happy Medium 

Week-Ends 

The Problem 

Suggestions 

Six Purposes of a Week-End 

Friends 

Tests of Friendship 

Obstacles 

Giving Yourself a Chance 

Attaining an Ideal 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 



Figure Page 

1. Schedule Card (face and reverse) i8, 22 

2. (a) Lecture Notes in Outline Form 46 

(b) Lecture Notes in Abstract or Predicate Form... 47 

3. Program of Work for Examination Week. 71 

4. (a) Time Available Sheet for One Day in Examina- 

tion Week 72 

(b) Time Available Sheet Completely Filled in 75 

5. Table Showing Time Taken to Repay Loan 144 

6. Simple Journal Cash Record 155 

7. Financial Control Sheet 164 

8. An Allotment Account 169 

9. A Control Sheet Account 170 

ID. An Investment Account 171 



XIV 



TACKLING TECH. 



CHAPTER I 

PREPARING FOR A TECHNICAL 
EDUCATION 

The Hills have been steep for mans mounting. 
The Woods have been dense for his axe, 
The Stars have been thick for his counting, 
The Sands have been vdde for his tracks, 
The Sea has been deep for his diving. 
The Poles have been broad for his sway. 
But bravely he's proved by his striving 
That where there's a will there's a way. 

-—The Open Window 

Minimum Preparation Required 

The minimum amount of preparation required 
for entrance into any technical institution is 
usually a high school education. You must first 
complete satisfactorily this preliminary training 
before you will be allowed to enter the higher 
institution without conditions. How careful 
should you be to fulfil this requirement, and how 
far is it wise for you to go in exceeding it? 

If you enter a technical school burdened with 
one or more conditions you give yourself a poor 
start. Where there is absolutely no alternative, 
this handicap must, of course, be borne. If this 
is the case, the best policy is not to worry. Some 

3 



4 TACKLING TECH. 

conditions are signed off automatically by pass- 
ing the subjects which follow them; the others 
can usually be taken care of within two years after 
entering without carrying a serious overload. 
Thirty or forty hours of work during a term will 
remove an ordinary condition. Before you plan 
to enter a technical institution under such circum- 
stances, however, make sure that you have ex- 
hausted every alternative. The man who enters 
with any conditions is poorly prepared. 

Exceeding the Requirements 

It cannot be emphasized too strongly that in 
every possible way you should strive not only to 
meet, but to exceed the requirements for admis- 
sion. This may be done in two ways : first, by 
obtaining a mark beyond question in every sub- 
ject required for admission; and second, by study- 
ing and passing a number of additional subjects 
of a general nature. Begin carrying out these 
two policies from the moment you decide upon 
the college or the technical school that you are 
to enter. 

To cite an instance, I will mention a fellow 
whom I knew in high school and who very early 
planned to get a technical education. He was 
able to obtain most of the preparation required 
during his four high school years, although it in- 



PREPARING FOR AN EDUCATION 5 

volved two years of outside tutoring in French. 
Throughout this time he made it a rule to take 
additional subjects, such as Ancient History and 
Advanced Elocution. Later he found that much 
of this training and experience was valuable. The 
policy of going the "uncompelled mile" in the 
matter of preparation is a wise one to follow. 

Advantages of Additional Preparation 

Frequently a man who thinks himself ready 
to begin his technical education immediately will 
do well to prepare himself still further. There 
are two ways of doing this : first, by attending a 
preparatory school for an additional year; and 
second, by entering college. The reason why 
men usually hesitate about taking either of these 
courses is that they feel it will mean too great an 
additional investment of time or money. The 
idea of an extra year of study looks appalling to a 
young fellow who already feels ^^old" at eighteen 
or nineteen. 

If barely sufficient money is available to put 
a man through a four years' course, very few 
parents would consider allowing him to take a 
preliminary year at a preparatory school, if that 
would make it necessary to borrow a thousand 
dollars for his last year in college. Yet that one 
additional year might easily enable the man to 



6 TACKLING TECH. 

double the benefits which he might get from his 
course of training. There is no point where an 
added investment has a more telling efifect than in 
the field of fullest preparation. To be ''penny 
wise'' here, either in the matter of time or money, 
is indeed to be ''pound foolish" as regards your 
entire investment in an education. 

Let me cite one instance of the way in which 
this works out in practice. I recall the case of 
a friend who had carefully prepared throughout 
his high school course to enter a certain engineer- 
ing school. By the time he had obtained his 
high school diploma he had practically covered 
the requirements for the institution he wished 
to enter. Nevertheless, he felt that further 
preparation would strengthen his preliminary 
training. Accordingly he entered a preparatory 
school for a year. Here he derived benefits which 
were of greatest value. He learned how to 
study; he was initiated into various student 
activities; he widened tremendously his circle of 
friends and increased his ability to make new 
ones. When finally he entered the techni- 
cal school he had a running start on the men 
who came directly from high school. Hundreds 
of others have had similar experiences. The year 
of additional preparation is usually worth all it 
costs. 



PREPARING FOR AN EDUCATION 7 

College Preparation for a Technical Education 

At present the proportion of college transfers 
in many technical institutions is increasing. It 
is not to be supposed from this that our technical 
schools are sooner or later to become mere grad- 
uate institutions. The requirements for entrance 
have been changed little, if any. In practically 
every case they can be met satisfactorily by the 
graduate of a good high school. There are, in 
fact, several arguments in favor of a man's not 
waiting too long before beginning the more rig- 
orous technical training. 

The shock of coming direct from high school 
to the technical institution is not likely to be very 
much more severe than that of coming from high 
school to college. The amount of work required 
in the scientific school eliminates many of the 
dangers which beset the college man, for the tech- 
nical student has little time for mischief. At the 
same time the difficulty of the work should not be 
exaggerated, and the technical education should 
hold no terrors for the student of reasonable ma- 
turity and mental capacity. 

College Men in Technical Schools 

While all this is true and while the necessity 
for a breadth of training is recognized in many 
scientific schools, the combination of both a college 



8 TACKLING TECH. 

and a technical education has in many cases dis- 
tinct advantages. So many are at present fol- 
lowing this method of education that it is interest- 
ing to note into what classes these men can be 
divided. 

The college men attending technical institu- 
tions fall into four groups. First, there is the 
man whose mind was not made up at the time 
he went to college regarding what he wished to 
do in life, and who took this method to decide. 
Second, there is the man who wished to get a 
taste of college life, before getting down to the 
more serious job of studying for a profession. 
Third, there is the individual to whom the added 
time and money necessary meant no great sacri- 
fice and who wished to obtain as varied an edu- 
cation as possible. Finally, there is the more ma- 
ture college graduate, who has definitely chosen 
his goal in life and who feels the need of speciali- 
zation in some technical field as a means to an 
end. 

What College Preparation Is Best 

In case a man has decided to take two years 
or more in college before entering a technical 
school, there is the question of what sort of col- 
lege training he had best obtain. It is conceded 
quite generally that if he is later to specialize, his 



PREPARING FOR AN EDUCATION 9 

training in college may well be broad. Emphasis 
should probably be laid upon advanced courses 
in English, Literature, Economics, and History. 
He should, however, lay out a definite plan of 
action to cover the entire five or six years. In 
this should be included many of the general sci- 
entific studies which are required by the techni- 
cal school before graduation and for which credit 
can later be obtained. Added to these should be 
a thorough preparation in Mathematics, Physics, 
and Chemistry, since these subjects can often be 
covered to better advantage in college than else- 
where. Correspondence, or, if possible, consul- 
tation with the officers of the technical school 
when the college student first begins to map out 
his course is of the greatest benefit in obtaining 
satisfactory results. 

For example, a man who had taken two years 
in college, and with whom I became acquainted 
at Technology, had followed out this method suc- 
cessfully. He had studied German, French, and 
Spanish, as well as the sciences of Biology, Chem- 
istry, and Physics. The training received from 
such courses in college broadens one's outlook. 
It develops a deeper appreciation of the "other 
things" to be found in life than can usually be 
obtained in even the most liberal of technical 
courses. 



lO TACKLING TECH. 

Later Advantages of College Preparation 

The advantages of previous college training 
which develop after a man has entered the tech- 
nical school may well be pointed out more specifi- 
cally. In the first place, he has a sufficient back- 
ground of knowledge and experience to know 
what he wants to get at the technical school. 
Next, he has a clearer perception of the relative 
importance of technical and general studies, as 
well as of other activities open to him. Finally, 
his more mature and better developed mind 
enables him to get what he wants with compara- 
tive ease. 

I recall a case which brings out these points, 
that of a friend who came to the Massachusetts 
Institute of Technology after he had completed 
an A. B. course at Yale. His four years in col- 
lege had enabled him to map out a definite plan 
of action, not only for his technical training, but 
for life. When many of his classmates were 
struggling to maintain the pace set by the in- 
structors, this man was only moderately busy. 
He seemed to have plenty of time to do his stud- 
ies better than anyone else, yet he was able also 
to have considerable leisure and to enjoy life to 
the fullest extent. 

When such a man graduates from a technical 
school he takes with him not his degree alone, 



PREPARING FOR AN EDUCATION n 

but also a well-rounded professional training 
that will soon enable him to command some very 
substantial returns on the added money and time 
that he has invested. His policy has been a wise 
one. He is likely to keep a lap ahead of the other 
runners in the race. 

Experience and Maturity Through Work 

Not infrequently it happens that, as regards 
his studies, a man may be prepared for a technical 
education beyond all question, but may still lack 
a certain degree of maturity which is very desira- 
ble. The principles dealt with in the specialized 
training of technical schools can be grasped more 
readily by the matured mind. Physical age is of 
considerable importance, for many technical insti- 
tutions do not allow students to enter below the 
age of seventeen, and others recommend the ages 
of eighteen or nineteen as being more desirable. 

When the question of age and maturity has 
to be carefully weighed, and when financial con- 
siderations prevent taking an extra year in pre- 
paratory school or college, work in some indus- 
try for a year offers an excellent alternative. If 
suitable employment is found the experience to 
be gained is of the greatest value.^ Parents or 
students troubled by the problem of deciding 



1 See Chapter XV. 









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14 TACKLING TECH. 

upon the best preparation for a technical educa- 
tion may do well in many cases to consider such 
work as a possibility 

Bibliography 

Baker, R. P. Engineering Education. 

Bishop, F. L. Engineering Education. (United States 
Bureau of Education.) 

Humphreys, Dr. A. C. The College Graduate as an 
Engineer. 

Iowa State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts. 
Education in Engineering. 

McDaniel, A. B. Co-ordination in Engineering In- 
struction. (University of Illinois.) 

Magnusson, C. E. The College Trained Engineer. 
(Journal of the American Institute of Electrical 
Engineers. Vol. 40, Sept. 1921, p. 730-36.) 

Mann, C. R. A Study of Engineering Education. 

National Society for the Promotion of Engineering 
Education. Proceedings. 

Roe, J. W. College Training for Executives. (Indus- 
trial Management. Vol. 58, Dec. 1919, p. 458-61.) 

Scott, Prof. A. C. College Training of Electrical 
Engineers. 

University of Texas. Correlation of High School and 
College Courses in the Sciences. 

Waddell and Harrington. Addresses to Engineering 
Students. (Kansas City, Missouri.) 



CHAPTER II 

HOW TO PLAN YOUR TIME AND DO 
YOUR WORK 

. . . // you can Ull the unforgiving minute 
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run 
Yours is the Earth and everything thafs in it, 
And — which is more — you'll be a Man, my son! 

— "If," by Rudyard Kipling 

Meeting New Conditions 

In prep school you found a good deal of pres- 
sure brought upon you to get your work done. 
In the technical school it is different. The oppor- 
tunity to win is laid before you. The winning is 
up to you. You must run under your own power 
and the sooner your clutch is in, the better. This 
means initiative. 

Forget what people have told you about the 
difificulties of a technical education. After you 
have struck your pace you will find that you can 
instinctively accelerate your step, although you 
must strive unremittingly. To accomplish this 
you must plan your own work and then hold 
yourself responsible for getting it done. For- 
merly you did not need to plan your work more 
than a day or two in advance. Now you must 
plan by the week. 

15 



l6 TACKLING TECH. 

Developing a Plan 

Here is a bit of my own experience. At prep 
school I began like ever}^one else to do my work 
in a hit-or-miss fashion, but one day a teacher 
set me thinking. He said, "You fellows think 
you are very busy, but the trouble is you don't 
plan your work. We had a lad here once who 
carefully planned everything. He gave to his 
studies the time they deserved. He spent more 
time than most of you do on athletics and outside 
work. Still he was able to read considerably and 
he always had time for fun on the side." This 
so appealed to me that I was eager to try it. 
Although I did not realize it, here was "scientific 
management'' applied to prep school. 

I did try this method and by the time I grad- 
uated from prep school I had developed a fair 
but crude schedule. When I began my techni- 
cal course, I tried various schemes. Ultimately 
they were all refined by trial and error until I 
reached a final plan which worked. I shall give 
you here a general but practicable scheme for 
planning your work. Its principles are sound and 
it has been proved efficient in practice, not by 
myself alone, but by many other graduates and 
undergraduates of technical institutions. It is 
easy to plan your work when you know how to 
go about it. 



HOW TO PLAN YOUR TIME 17 

Co-operation with Instructors 

Do not wait until too late to discover that if 
you will give them opportunity, your instructors 
stand ready to help you in every phase of plan- 
ning your work and getting it done. Too many 
fellows feel that faculty members are unques- 
tionably on the "other side of the fence," and 
consequently make few attempts to obtain from 
them any personal advice or assistance. In 
reality, most of the 'Trofs." have ''been there 
themselves" and if approached properly will not 
only prove to be firm friends, but will also be of 
the greatest assistance in helping to solve the per- 
sonal as well as the scholastic problems of school 
life. 

Necessary Information and Materials 

The first thing to do in laying out a schedule 
is to study the work you have to do. You can't 
tell when you should study for a chemistry reci- 
tation, for example, until you get a general idea 
of the work. But don't spend a week getting this 
preliminary information. Take special notes on 
these points in the first classes of the term. You 
are then ready to make out your preliminary 
schedule. 

Next get a suitable schedule form. You have 
probably been furnished with printed program 



i8 



TACKLING TECH. 



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HOW TO PLAN YOUR TIME 19 

cards on which you have filled in your classes 
only. You will need a more general form, cov- 
ering all your working hours. Draw up a Sched- 
ule Card, similar in form and arrangement to the 
sample schedule card shown on page 18 (Figure 
I a). 

The school has provided its own schedule, but 
not yours. Follow the example thus set and put 
your plan in writing. This will make it definite, 
and will have the additional advantage of avoiding 
much repetition and waste of time in the long run. 

Taking Time to Plan 

Take time today to plan your work. The direc- 
tions below tell you explicitly how to go about it. 
If you do not know how to build a schedule, fol- 
low these directions carefully. If you have your 
own method which you think is good enough, fol- 
low it with equal care. The way recommended 
here is the result of four years of experience by 
many different mepi. Even though your own 
method may be better for your particular pur- 
poses, by trying this other way once you are likely 
to get some suggestions for improving yours. 
Be sure to read as far as the section on "Making 
Your Plan Work" before you begin to fill in your 
card. 



20 TACKLING TECH. 

Building a Schedule 

The first step in making out a schedule is to 
decide points in regard to sleeping, eating, etc. 
Count on getting plenty of sleep.^ If you can 
study an hour before breakfast, or with merely 
a bite to eat, get up at 7 and go to bed at 1 1 . At 
first you may feel that you cannot do this to ad- 
vantage, but a month's trial may surprise you, 
with excellent results. In this case, 3 hours will 
be your maximum, amount of study time for any 
night. If you find by actual test that you cannot 
study to advantage in the morning, get up at 8 
and go tO' bed at 12. You then must count on a 
maximum of 4 hours of study a night.* 

Each day allow an hour for getting dressed and 
for breakfast. Allow an hour for lunch, and an 
hour to an hour and one-half for dinner. Plan 
to stop work Saturday at i, and to begin again 
MoHday morning. You need recreation in order 
to do your best work, and the week-end is the 
best opportunity for this. The man who can work 
all the time doesn't exist. 

Plan definitely to make use of the time you 
have available between classes. For certain 
kinds of work these hours are most valuable. 
For any kind of work they are far more valuable 



1 See Chapter VII. 

2 See Chapter III. 



HOW TO PLAN YOUR TIME 21 

than no time at all. Count on filling them in, and 
soon you will learn to utilize them fully. 

The next step in planning your work is to 
analyze, first, the work you have to do, and then 
the time you have to do it in. The schedule 
card will help you do this. This step will require 
but little effort and will give you an excellent 
idea of where your time actually goes. Be sure 
to read entirely through the chapter before put- 
ting anything down on your card. Then return 
to this point and follow the directions carefully. 

Analyzing Your Work and Time 

Draw up a blank schedule card similar to the 
sample shown in Figure i a and b (pages 18 and 
22), and fill it out as follows. Make your entries 
in pencil. This schedule is not to he copied. Use 
it as a sample and make out one of your own. 
Learn how to plan your own work. 

1 . In the oblong spaces of your schedule card 
write in the name (or number) of each class 
which you have, showing also room numbers, 
etc., as on the sample schedule. In column (I) on 
the back of the card (see Figure i b) fill in the 
number of hours for classes for each day and 
the total for the week. 

2. In the small squares show, by means of 
vertical lines, the number of hours of preparation 



22 TACKLING TECH. 





I 




n 




Class Hours 


Preparation Hours | 


M 








T 








W 








Th 








F 








S 
Total 












Total Hours for Studies for the Week 







Figure i. (b) Schedule Card (reverse) 

required for each recitation. In column (II) on 
the back of the card (Figure i b) fill in the total 
number of hours necessary for preparation for 
each day and for the week. 

3. Add items (I) and (II) on the back of 
the card and find the total hours required for 
studies for the week. It is important to know 
the total number of hours your studies should 
require each week according to the curriculum. 
This will enable you to judge how heavy a load 
you are carrying. Also, it will aid you in appor- 
tioning to other things the proper amount of 
time. While estimates made by the school for 
the time required to prepare each subject may not 
be absolutely accurate, they furnish you with the 
best possible standard on which to base your plan. 

4. Fill in the hours which you are required 



HOW TO PLAN YOUR TIME 23 

to Spend on things other than studies and exer- 
cise which are absolutely essential. This item 
should include time for meals, commuting, out- 
side work, etc. The number of hours which 
these things require should be watched very care- 
fully. No matter what school you attend its 
minimum will be about 17 hours a week, and its 
maximum (for others than commuters) should 
not ordinarily be above 22. When it exceeds 
this amount it will be worth your while to make 
a careful investigation to determine whether or 
not that which is requiring this amount of time 
actually pays.^ 

5. Fill in the hours which you have decided 
to give to exercise, and designate temporarily 
those which you desire to give to activities, etc.* 
Count these up and fill in the total on the back 
of the card. 

6. Fit the hours of preparation required for 
your studies into the hours still left vacant. 
Cross out each vertical line in the square as that 
particular hour of preparation is cared for. In 
case there are not enough hours available to care 
for all the preparation, you must, of course, reduce 
either item (4) or item (5). Studies come first. 



3 See Chapter XII. 

* See Chapters VII and XI. 



24 



TACKLING TECH. 



Making the Most of Your Time 

From Monday morning until the following 
Saturday noon, allowing yourself reasonable 
time for eating and sleeping, you will be able to 
find between 65 and 70 hours which you can use. 
Add items (3), (5), and (6) and see how near 
you come tO' obtaining 65 hours. Very few 
schools of any sort require more than 48 hours 
of work a week. It would seem a very simple 
matter for anyone to fit 48 hours into 65. As a 
matter of fact, the other 17 hours slip away all 
too easily. 

It should be one of your chief purposes in 
planning your work to compress your 48 hours 
of study — if this is the amount which you have 
to do^ — into 48 actual hours. This will give you 
more time for play and for other things. To do 
this you will need to fit each hour of work, as 
nearly as possible, into the very best hour of 
time. This is one of the secrets of making a 
good schedule — a plan which will really work. 

Arranging the Hours of Preparation 

When you undertake to fit in the hours of 
preparation you meet with the real problem of 
arranging your work. By following the pre- 
vious directions carefully you eliminate as many 
other uncertainties as possible, and hence make 



HOW TO PLAN YOUR TIME 25 

this final step easier. With a little practice it is 
not dfficult to arrange your study hours to advan- 
tage, but it takes time. You cannot hope to ac- 
complish the desired results at once. 

First try what appears to be a reasonable ar- 
rangement. Begin with classes at the last of the 
week and work backward, filling in the number 
of study hours required for each subject you are 
taking. Work forward, also, when you get 
stuck. Keep at it until you get all the hours of 
work fitted in. 

Don't be afraid to study Saturday's math, as 
far ahead as Wednesday night, or Monday's 
physics on the preceding Friday. This will help 
you to distribute the week's load and at the same 
time find which is actually the best time to do 
the work. Most subjects can be studied to best 
advantage either just before or just after class. 
For a few others it is better to put the hours of 
preparation midway between recitations. Study 
the prepared work of your classes and determine 
very carefully the better method in each case. 

Incentives 

A good way to keep up to your schedule as re- 
gards work is to give yourself rewards when you 
complete the work on time. Keep in mind some 
pleasant task or recreation which you can enjoy 



26 TACKLING TECH. 

when the other work is done. In the sample 
schedule on page i8 the freshman gave himself 
one night off beside his week-ends. This fur- 
nished him with additional incentive for putting 
through the remainder of the schedule. Also, it 
gave him recreation when he needed it. It is a 
good policy to follow. 

Necessary Changes in the Schedule 

All of the writing on the card should at first 
be lightly in pencil. This enables you to make 
the changes which are bound to be necessary. It 
is usually best not to ink in even your classes for 
a week or so. It is inevitable that shifts in sec- 
tions shall be made, and these usually necessitate 
several revisions of your schedule. Hence it is 
well not to be too hasty. 

Making Your Plan Work 

Try out your plan of work for a week. If it 
is absurdly bad, change it after three days, but 
you will learn more from sticking to it longer. 
Incidentally, your studies will survive the trial 
surprisingly well. 

After the first week, take an inventory to see 
how you stand. You will have learned that your 
Chemistry should be studied soon after the lec- 
tures, perhaps, and that you can do all your Eng- 



HOW TO PLAN YOUR TIME 27 

lish reading at school Wednesday morning. 
Make the changes — still in pencil — and try 
again. 

Things will run better this time. However, 
you will be tempted to cut the corners here and 
there. You will want to ''put things off a bit." 
Perhaps you are not accustomed to distributing 
the load over a whole week. If not, you must 
learn the knack. Don't give up trying. Stick it 
out and give your studies full time. You will be 
well repaid in the end. 

At the close of the second week fill in your 
schedule in ink. Do a neat job. You have now 
planned your work as well as you can. The rest 
is sticking to it. There will still be interruptions 
and changes, but these you can patch up. Do 
not hope for perfection the first term. Make sug- 
gestions for improvement on the back of your 
card, and plan for better results next time. 

Other Methods 

There are ways and ways of planning your 
work. I have given you but one. Some fellows 
feel they do not need a schedule. Others do not 
want one. A majority of men who do not at- 
tempt to plan their work say that they could not 
follow a plan if they had it. Quite likely they 
could not. However, the fact that a man does 



28 TACKLING TECH. 

not follow his schedule exactly does not destroy 
the value of the plan. He at least knows at all 
times where he stands, and this is the important 
thing. No one can follow a schedule exactly. It 
is the man who plans his work and follows his 
plan m so far as it is possible who gets the most 
accomplished in the long run. 

There is, of course, the other extreme — the 
man who never plans his work, and in fact is not 
suited for a technical education at all. An exam- 
ple of this may not be out of place. One man 
whom I knew never made any pretense of plan- 
ning his work. About 8 o'clock he would come 
up to his room to study. For fifteen minutes or 
half an hour he would dig on mathematics. Soon 
he would change to physics. Before an hour was 
up he would have taken a shot at three or four 
subjects, having knocked off to joke between 
times. At 9 130 or 10 he would stick on his hat 
and dash off to the Waldorf for a ham sandwich 
and a cup of coffee. When he returned, if exams, 
were near, he might study till 2 or even 3 a. m. 
Usually he fell asleep, either in bed or on the 
floor, sometimes studying, but more often read- 
ing Judge. 

Such methods spell failure in your school 
work. Get down to business and stick to it for 
four years. This is the way to earn your degree. 



HOW TO PLAN YOUR TIME 29 

A Means to an End 

On the other hand, the work of your studies is 
not everything, it is only a part of the bigger, 
broader education you must get from your four 
years of training. Your schedule is your plan of 
work, but you can make it also your plan for 
play. You must follow it persistently for the 
most part. You must stick to it nine times out of 
ten. The tenth time, perhaps, you must break it ! 
In other words, be a man, not an automaton. 
You must run the schedule and your zvork and 
not let them run you. 

Bibliography 

Adams, John. Making the Most of One's Mind. 
Edwards, A. S. Fundamental Principles of Learning 

and Study. (Warwick and York.) 
Emerson, Harrington. Course in Personal Efficiency. 
Garth, T. R. How College Students Prepare Their 

Lessons. (Pedagogical Seminary. Vol. 2^, 1920, 

p. 90-98.) 
Gowin, E. B. Developing Executive Ability. 
Hazlitt, Henry. Thinking as a Science. 
King, L An Inquiry into Certain Aspects of the Study 

Habits of University Students. (School & Society. 

Vol. 2, 191 5, p. 824-28.) 
Kitson, H. D. How to Use Your Mind. 
Scientific Study of the College Student. (Psy- 
chological Review Monographs. Vol. 23, No. 89, 

1917.) 



30 



TACKLING TECH. 



Lunt, F. S. Some Investigations of Study Habits. 

Journal of Educational Psychology. Vol. i, 1910, 

p. 344-8.) 
Mudge, E. J. Automatisms in Study. (Pedagogical 

Seminary. Vol. 27, 1920, p. 99-100.) 
Rowe, S. H. Study Habit and How to Form It. 

(Education. Vol. 30, 1910, p. 670-83.) 
Swain, G. F. How to Study. 
Whipple, G. M. How to Study Effectively. 

(See also under Chapters III and IV.) 



CHAPTER III 

HOW TO CONCENTRATE 

It doesn't make any difference how mean and trifling the 
thing youWe doing may seem at the time, that's the big thing 
and the only thing for you then. — "Letters from a Self- 
made Merchant to his Son" 

Beginning Right 

The extent of your professional training de- 
pends largely upon the kind of studying you do. 
The methods you use and the habits you form 
in your study are of fundamental importance. 
This is especially true during your first two 
years ; thereafter you will probably persist in the 
course you have chosen. If you want to make 
good eventually, begin right. It may be difficult 
but it is worth while. There is only one way to 
avoid vain regrets in regard to studying. See 
your faults ng^ and correct them. 

Physical Preparation for Study 

Most fellows are bothered with the problem of 
how to concentrate. Half of it is a matter of 
physical and mental preparation for study, and 
the other half is practice. 

By physical preparation I do not mean only 

31 



32 



TACKLING TECH. 



that you must be physically able to work by ob- 
taining proper rest, exercise, and diet. These, It 
is true, are of primary importance.^ But your 
physical surroundings also need attention. First, 
you must have a good place to work. It is essen- 
tial to have a comfortable chair (but not too com- 
fortable!), a suitable desk, and the best light pos- 
sible. These are well worth an added investment 
of time and money. The man who tries to work 
in a poor light is almost sure to be handicapping 
himself more seriously than he realizes. Plenty 
of fresh air is also essential. Give these details 
your immediate attention, if you have not already 
done so. You will be well repaid for the trouble. 

Your equipment should be carefully arranged. 
See that everything you need is near at hand. It 
is most disconcerting to seat yourself for an 
hour's work on some engineering problem and 
five minutes later to jump up to borrow your 
neighbor's handbook, or to find your own steam 
tables and your slide rule. Acquire the habit of 
having at hand the things you will need. It will 
repay you many times over before you have com- 
pleted your four years' course. 

A condition which often helps one to concen- 
trate is to have the decks "cleared for action" be- 
fore beginning. Take a couple of minutes at the 



1 See Chapter VII. 



HOW TO CONCENTRATE 33 

start to clean up your desk. Next get out your 
graph paper, drawing instruments, triangles, and 
textbooks, or whatever you will need. You will 
then be able to buckle down to your task. By 
continuous effort you can often accomplish more 
in forty-five minutes than you otherwise could 
in an hour. 

Mental Preparation 

It is even more important, perhaps, to have 
your brain ''cleared for action." Put all cares 
and worries from your mind. The study hour is 
not the time to think of errands you must do, 
or of any engagements you have in mind. Do 
not let your fancy dwell upon whatever may pop 
into your head. ^Concentrate upon the work you 
have to do. See it in the light of its relation to 
your course. In almost any job you undertake 
an ounce of interest is worth a pound of effort. 

Working at Maximum Efftciency 

You cannot expect to be able to keep your mind 
centered upon one thing too long at a stretch. 
Some time ago a man came to me with the com- 
plaint that he ''could not concentrate." Some- 
thing was evidently wrong, for his record showed 
a consistent number of failures. We decided to 
search out the trouble together. A frank talk 



34 



TACKLING TECH. 



revealed at least one thing which was not right 
and which could be changed. He was trying to 
put three or four hours of study on a subject in 
one evening, and he was not one who could con- 
centrate for such long periods. Accordingly we 
rearranged his work, cut down the maximum 
time each night to three hours, and planned for 
him to study no longer than two hours at a 
stretch on any one thing. The results were re- 
markable. Within a short time he began to pick 
up in his work. He found that he could concen- 
trate, and his work improved considerably. 

The moral is, you should work hard but not 
too long. It does not pay in the long run to sit 
up too late to study. Anyone who becomes en- 
grossed in a problem is tempted to stay up and 
dig on it until the wee small hours. Use your 
will power to quit at the proper time. 

Interruptions 

There is really no defence against the inter- 
ruptions of a friend who drops into the room 
when you are trying to study. Here the prob- 
lem is the same one that you will have in later 
life. Many of our greatest business men have a 
marked characteristic in this regard. No matter 
how fully occupied they may be with their work, 
they are always ready to see their friends. Yet 



HOW TO CONCENTRATE 35 

few really big business men will allow a friend 
or caller to waste his time with aimless conver- 
sation. Roosevelt, it is said, had such a remark- 
able power in his personality that he would com- 
pletely dominate an interview. At a certain mo- 
ment, in the calls which were made upon him at 
the White House, the visitor would find himself 
clutching his hat convulsively, and the President, 
overcoming his disappointment, would manfully 
bid him goodby! Few of us can ever become 
such masters of the art of dismissal, but, we can 
strive to approach this goal. 

While there is no real protection against too 
frequent interruptions by others, much can be 
done to lessen the annoyance. In the first place, 
locate yourself where it is unlikely that you will 
be disturbed. It is not necessary to force your 
own methods upon others, but you can let it be 
clearly understood that it is your study hour. 
When interruptions do come, take them as a mat- 
ter of course, but do not go out of your way to 
find them. Make it your definite policy not to 
disturb the other fellow. If you carry this out 
consistently, he will not be likely to interrupt you. 

How to Study a Subject 

An important part of an education comes 
through observing experience and practice of 



36 TACKLING TECH. 

other men who have done what we wish to do. 
Some forms of study are necessarily a matter of 
memory. When any sort of memory work is en- 
countered it is well to realize that there is a right 
and a wrong method of memorizing. The wrong 
method is to memorize by rote. In this one sim- 
ply connects two things or ideas by incessant 
repetition. Thus a student might learn the for- 
mula for water by repeating the symbols H2O 
until he has them firmly fixed in mind. Likewise 
he might memorize the formula for sulphuric 
acid by repeating the symbols H2S0^y etc., etc. 

Tested Methods of Memorizing 

The right method of memorizing is by under- 
standing. When this method is used an effort is 
made to connect new knowledge with what is al- 
ready known. This should be done in as many 
different ways as possible. Thus in the case of 
the composition of water the student would learn 
that it is made up of oxygen and hydrogen. A 
laboratory experiment would be used to verify 
this. By exact measurement the student would 
establish the volume relationship, and from this 
there would appear the formula H2O. The same 
would be done in the case of H2SO4., and so on 
for other similar cases. 

At first sight the second method appears the 



HOW TO CONCENTRATE 37 

harder of the two. Actually, in the long run, it 
is much easier. In the first method the student 
must deal with thousands of unrelated facts. By 
acquiring the habit of relating these facts to 
knowledge he already has, the student simplifies 
his task in the long run. Numerous facts group 
themselves about a few general principles. By 
mastering these it is made much easier to build 
up a whole framework of knowledge regarding 
such a science as chemistry. 

In using the logical or understanding method 
of learning, remember first to associate each new 
fact encountered with as many familiar facts as 
possible; second, always try to associate a new 
fact from the very first with that category of 
knowledge to which it rightly belongs. It is 
even harder to unlearn a mistaken relationship 
than to learn an unrelated fact. Finally, bring 
to mind as often as possible what has been learned, 
scattering these reviews over a considerable pe- 
riod of time. The engineer must be able to recall 
what he knows when he needs the information. 
This ability can be acquired only through long, 
hard practice, and now is the time to begin. 

Putting Methods into Practice 

When starting in to study a subject, make 
yourself review rapidly the ground you have 



38 TACKLING TECH. 

covered to date. See how much you can recall 
to mind. It is worth your while to spend a few 
moments in this way. When you have brought 
as much as possible of your knowledge to the 
surface, so to speak, you will be ready to begin 
work on a more advanced lesson. 

At one time or another you will become en- 
grossed in some particular subject which you are 
studying. You can then fit other matters into 
this and so make them stick. Quite often there 
will be some special problem on which you are 
engaged. Such, for instance, might be the build- 
ing of an amateur radio outfit. With this prob- 
lem in mind you can study with keen interest 
considerable portions of your physics and chem- 
istry, to see how they relate to your hobby. 
Again, in many of the problems in activities, you 
can turn to practical use the methods which you 
acquire in your studies. There are few ways 
more helpful in impressing upon your mind the 
important points of a technical education than to 
make practical use of your knowledge as often 
as possible. 

Developing the Critical Attitude 

As time goes on it is important that you de- 
velop the critical attitude toward your work. No 
matter what you are studying, try to keep your 



HOW TO CONCENTRATE 39 

mind open, ready to question every statement 
made. It is better to be hypercritical than to ac- 
cept as fact all that you read or hear. Again and 
again during your course errors will appear in 
standard works where they are least expected. I 
recall a case where a class of more than thirty 
men worked out a problem given them without 
one discovering the obvious error it contained. 
The man who perceives the misprint in the 
demonstration of a calculus formula possesses a 
valuable trait. It takes a true critic to find a flaw 
in that which others have held to be perfect. 
Such men are rare, and as regards the world's 
progress, invaluable. 

The Seven Devils of Obstruction 

To get things done, first get them started. The 
man who sits at his desk, open book before him, 
but his head filled with big, dreamy ideas, never 
accomplishes much. Plan to do things the short- 
est and quickest way, and reduce your non-pro- 
ductive time to a minimum. The goal of con- 
centration is not a difficult one to attain, once you 
understand and put into practice the rules of the 
game. 

In your third or fourth year, if not before, read 
''Developing Executive Ability," by E. B. Gowin. 
The author of this book analyzes very well the 



40 



TACKLING TECH. 



hindrances which beset the business executive. 
With one or two changes, the ''seven devils of 
obstruction" of the business man apply equally 
well to the student. They are : 

Procrastination. 
The big dreamy idea. 
Things forgotten. 
Interruptions. 
Roundabout methods. 
Letting things slide. 
Just getting by. 

Bibliography 

Chorters, Mrs. W. W. Methods of Study. (Mimeo- 
graphed report on methods used in college.) 

Gildemeister, F. Study at Home. (National Educa- 
tion Association. Proceedings, 1909, p. 1009-12.) 

Giles, F. M. Sensible Directions for Study. (School 
Review. Vol. 22, 1914, p. 635-37.) 

Hazlitt, Henry. Thinking as a Science. 

Hinsdale, B. A. Art of Study. 

Kitson, H. D. How to Use Your Mind. 

Larson, C. D. Concentration. 

McMurry, F. M. How to Study. 

Martin, A. S. How to Study. (Education. Vol. 40, 
1919, p. 248-50.) 

Starch, E. K. Educational Psychology. 

VanHise, C. R. Concentration and Control. 
(See also under Chapter II.) 



CHAPTER IV 

HOW TO TAKE NOTES AND USE THEM 

The Personal Equation in Note-Taking 

There is, in every school, the man who appa- 
rently does not need to take notes. I recall the 
case of a student in a sophomore section in Phys- 
ics who would sit immovable through hours of 
explanation of electrcial theory and apparently 
retain almost all the details without the aid of an}^ 
notations. Other men prefer to listen attentively 
to all that is said, and immediately after class 
compose their notes by recalling and recording 
the most important points brought out. Such 
"listening'' methods, while possibly excellent 
training, are on the whole unsafe for the techni- 
cal student. The memory cannot be relied upon 
in retaining such masses of detail as one inevitably 
meets. It cannot be emphasized too strongly 
that it is imperative for you to begin the practice 
of note-taking with the start of your course. 

The permanent records which you make of 
your courses of study are likely to be one of your 
most valuable sources of knowledge during your 
undergraduate years and thereafter. No pains 
should be spared to make them understandable 

41 



42 



TACKLING TECH. 



and complete, and to record and file them in such 
a way that they shall be of permanent value. It 
is to those who are anxious to meet the require- 
ments of this work in the most satisfactory and 
least expensive manner that this chapter is di- 
rected. 

Systems of Note-Taking 

Before discussing the actual method of taking 
notes, it will be well to survey quickly the field 
of note-taking equipment. An analysis of note- 
books and forms, which includes those used ex- 
tensively by most technical students, is given 
below : 

Approximate 
Type of Equipment Size of Page 

(Inches) 

Memindex 2 J4 x 4 

Lefax 3^ X 6j4 

Fixed-page notebooks 2^ x 4 to 7 J^ x 10 

Loose-leaf notebooks 2% x 4 to 8>^ x 11 

Standard or other size paper with 

Strapflex binders 8^ x 1 1 or smaller 

Standard or other size paper with ad- 
justable clip binder and pasteboard 
or cloth cover 8^ x 11 or smaller 

Memindex (pocket memorandum; see also in 
Chapter V, page 62, ) is not suitable for taking 
notes regularly, but it can be used to advantage 
to record lesson assignments, and in cases of 



HOW TO TAKE NOTES 43 

emergency to jot down the substance of a lecture. 

Lefax has a wide variety of forms, can be car- 
ried conveniently in the pocket, and its pages are 
readily filed. 

Fixed-page notebooks are seldom applicable in 
any form to college work except in special cases. 
The larger loose-leaf notebooks give sufficient 
space for nearly all kinds of work, but their first 
cost is likely to be high, and specially punched 
paper is required for the filler. 

Strapflex binders, which are manilla folders 
with the provision made for binding letter-size 
paper with common brass fasteners, are conven- 
ient for carrying separate sets of notes and for 
filing. 

The cheap pasteboard or cloth cover binder, 
size 9^ X 11^, which, by means of a ''clutch- 
clip'' or other simple binding device, will hold 
all descriptions of paper up to standard letter 
size (8^ X 11) gives all the advantages of large 
size paper, elasticity and reasonable cost. 

Selecting a Permanent Equipment 

In selecting your note-taking equipment for a 
four-year course it is worth your while to decide 
upon a form which will meet your requirements 
consistently from first to last. Many men find 
that, in the long run, the more elaborate and 



44 



TACKLING TECH. 



more complete systems do not give the all-round 
satisfactory results obtainable from simpler and 
cheaper methods. 

One very important feature to consider is the 
size of the page. Any notations or sketches 
which can be recorded on a small paper can be 
set forth as well or better on a larger sheet. 
Neatness, clearness, and completeness are fre- 
quently far more desirable in recording techni- 
cal data than compactness. In all your note-tak- 
ing a fact worth keeping in mind is the negligi- 
ble cost of paper, compared with the value of 
your time. 

Making Note-Taking Worth While 

The framework for a lecture, or, in fact, for 
any written or spoken expression of thought, is 
the outline or list of subjects discussed. In tak- 
ing notes of a lecture this framework should re- 
ceive your attention first. 

The taking of a simple outline is not ordi- 
narily difficult, but where the complete thoughts 
of a speaker are to be recorded the problem is 
different. Some students are prone to take 
thought notes ''parrot fashion" ; that is, they re- 
ceive information through their eyes and ears 
and simply record it in the same words. This 
method may be better than none, but the returns 



HOW TO TAKE NOTES 45 

to be expected are likely to be small in proportion 
to the effort expended. 

Make your notes similar to those taken by a 
newspaper reporter and not like those of a sten- 
ographer. The man who takes stenographic 
notes usually files them without rereading or re- 
vising, and is not likely to look at them again. 

Notes taken properly are a record of your own 
thoughts and not merely a resume of what some- 
one else has said or written. For this reason 
they are doubly valuable to you. Besides aiding 
you to digest the knowledge which you wish to 
make your own, such notes furnish you with a 
permanent record of your studies. 

Notes of Permanent Value 

As shown above, an outline of a lecture is 
likely to be more brief and easier to take than 
notes including both subjects and predicates. 
Such outline notes, on the other hand, are of little 
value unless the actual ideas expressed by the 
speaker are fresh in the mind of the person read- 
ing them. Records that you take in the outline 
form "grow cold" rapidly. On the other hand, 
if you will take care to see that valuable data are 
put in the form of an abstract before filing, it 
becomes equally valuable to you now or in the 
future. 



46 TACKLING TECH. 

The two samples of lecture notes shown below 
(Figures 2a and b) bring out this point. By 
reading over the outline in the first case, one gets 



EL M^ 



f^igure 2. (a) Lecture Notes in Outline Form 

a vague idea of what the lecturer had to say. The 
abstract form, however, has the power to bring 
to one's mind almost the exact thoughts which 
were emphasized in the lecture. Your ideal in 



HOW TO TAKE NOTES 47 

note-taking should be to put your notes into such 
form that they can be easily read and understood 
if reviewed by you five years hence. 






Figue 2, (b) Lecture Notes in Abstract or Predicate 

Form 



48 TACKLING TECH. 

The Use of Shorthand in Note-Taking 

Some do not find shorthand too difficult to 
learn through individual study, but the better 
method is to take a course in the subject. If pos- 
sible, avail yourself of this opportunity in high 
school. Perhaps a summer course will offer an 
excellent alternative. If the learning of a short- 
hand system is undertaken at all it is worth while 
to become proficient. It is then possible to keep 
in good practice by using this method of saving 
time in much everyday work. 

The danger in using shorthand is that words 
will be recorded rather than thoughts. By taking 
the notes in shorthand more time should be made 
available for thought and attention on what is 
being said. If notes are taken by this method, 
and later transcribed in long hand or on the type- 
writer, excellent results can be obtained. 

Systematic Filing of Notes 

In addition to taking careful records through- 
out your course, you should also see that they 
are properly preserved. Any system of note-filing 
which you adopt should be simple enough for you 
to maintain regularly, so that the notes may be 
readily accessible for immediate reference. Also 
they should be in such form that all or a part of 
the material can be moved without difficulty. 



HOW TO TAKE NOTES 49 

Usual Methods of Filing Notes 

There are probably as many ways of attempt- 
ing to file notes as there are methods of taking 
them. One of the commonest, which many stu- 
dents too often adopt through negligence, is to 
leave them in a notebook until the end of the 
term. There is then little time for revision or 
rearrangement, and in the general clean-up pre- 
ceding or following exams., the notes are removed 
from the book and stored in some convenient cor- 
ner or on an out-of-the-way shelf. 

This method of keeping notes is sure in the 
long run to prove unsatisfactory. The helter- 
skelter arrangement of the pages makes it almost 
impossible to find what is wanted when it is 
needed. Unless a description of the contents is 
placed upon the package, and the precaution taken 
to stamp the notes properly with the owner's 
name, many of the papers are likely to become 
lost. To get satisfaction from filing your notes, 
you must be prepared to give the matter serious 
attention and adhere to a systematic scheme of 
arrangement consistently throughout your course. 

A Practical Method Which Gives Good Results 

One can never begin too soon to keep notes in 
good order. If you desire to do this in a simple, 
practical way, the following may prove of value : 



50 TACKLING TECH. 

Obtain first a dozen or so heavy manila fold- 
ers, size 9 X 11^2, provided with tabs which pro- 
ject up half an inch when the folders are upright. 
Fill in the tabs of as many folders as necessary, 
using a separate container for each subject. On 
the outside of the folder can be written or 
stamped the year, term, and date when the course 
was taken, together with a list of the textbooks 
used, etc. This information, while it may appear 
superfluous, is often of real value later. Above 
all, be sure that the various sections of the notes 
are stamped with your name, with suitable in- 
structions for returning when borrowed or lost. 

Adaptations to Special Methods 

The folders above described are best suited for 
use with note paper of standard size, 83^ x 11. 
In case Lefax or any other small-page note sys- 
tem is used, other types of containers can per- 
haps be used to better advantage. In all cases, 
however, equal care should be taken to remove 
used pages from the notebook as often as once a 
week, and to restock with fresh paper. This re- 
moval of pages from the notebook for filing 
should, of course, be in addition to any regular 
study or rewriting of the notes. The latter 
should be carried out, as emphasized above, as 
soon after the notes are taken as possible. 



HOW TO TAKE NOTES 51 

Storing of Notes 

During the term the four or five folders neces- 
sary to hold the notes which are being taken 
should be kept conveniently at hand. This can 
usually be accomplished to best advantage by 
standing the folders upright behind the books on 
your desk or table, with possibly an extra book- 
holder to keep them from sagging. On the other 
hand, when the folders are stored, it is usually 
best to lay them flat with the tabs protruding so 
as to be read most easily. In this way they will 
keep their shape, and when reference is made to 
any particular set of notes that folder can be with- 
drawn entirely from the pile. 

All of the folders containing the records for a 
separate term or year may be bound loosely to- 
gether. In nine cases out of ten the chronological 
order in which the groups of notes are taken 
gives the most satisfactory scheme for filing. 
With proper care in labeling and storing the fold- 
ers, excellent results can be obtained in locating 
immediately any particular problems or corre- 
lated data which are needed for reference. 

Bibliography 

Seward, S, S. Note Taking. 
Robinson, A. T. Note Taking. 



CHAPTER V 

SPECIAL TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT 

Everybody who ever did anything anywhere had to Und 
the grindstone and rim himself against it until he developed 
an edge that would cut something. — Kaufman 

Obtaining Necessary Equipment 

Throughout your course you will be confronted 
with the question of what tools and equipment 
you ought to buy. A student will not always 
have the exact articles needed thrust before him. 
In many cases he will not fully realize a need 
until he has the equipment at hand. He then 
regrets that such equipment was not purchased 
long before. In other cases, expensive apparatus 
will be bought which will be used only a short 
time and then discarded. In the aggregate the 
cost of articles so purchased represents a consid- 
erable amount of money thrown away. I knew 
k>i several men, during my four-year course, 
each of whom spent from one hundred to two 
hundred dollars merely on miscellaneous equip- 
ment. 

In the purchasing of equipment two steps are 

necessary to avoid making mistakes : first, study 

your needs, and second, use discretion in pur- 

52 „ , 



SPECIAL TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT 53 

chasing. You must be constantly alert to sense 
the need for some particular tool which you can 
use to advantage in saving time, energy, or 
money. When you have discovered some short- 
coming, analyze the trouble carefully to deter- 
mine how you can best supply the want. Re- 
member that in ninety-nine cases out of one 
hundred your problem has been solved by innu- 
merable students before you. Employ the prin- 
ciple of "competent counsel" in your selection of 
equipment. Profit by the experience of others. 
In this manner you will be most likely to obtain 
the proper tools and equipment to meet your 
needs, and you will obtain genuine satisfaction 
from your purchases. 

Investing in a Typewriter 

If you have not already purchased and learned 
to use a typewriter before beginning your course, 
the sooner you do so the better. The man today 
who does not know how to use the modern writ- 
ing machine is handicapping himself, not only in 
his studies, but also in his work after he leaves 
school. Plan without delay to make the neces- 
sary investment of time and money in order to 
obtain a typewriter and to learn how to operate it 
in the most efficient manner. You will be well 
repaid for your patience and money invested. 



54 TACKLING TECH. 

The cost of owning and maintaining a modern 
portable typewriter is not so great as might be 
supposed. It can be shown that such a machine 
can be purchased with money borrowed at 6 per 
cent, be cleaned annually and kept in good repair, 
and after five or six years be replaced by a new 
machine, all at an annual cost of approximately 
$12.50. This is less than 3J^ cents a day! A 
saving of only a very few minutes each day by 
the efficient use of a typewriter, therefore, would 
more than repay the student for its cost. The 
usual rental charge for a typewriter is $20 for 
eight months. This is $7.50 more than the an- 
nual cost of owning a portable machine.^ 

Learning to Use a Typewriter 

In order to save time, energy, and patience by 
the use of a typewriter, it is extremely important 
that a student should learn the proper method of 
typewriting. There are two distinct ways of 
operating a typewriter: the scientific method, 
called the ''touch system," and the unscientific 



1 Cost of owning and maintaining a typewriter; 

Original cost $50.00 

Redeemable value after 5 years 15.00 

Depreciation over 5 years $35.00 

Cleaning and repairs at $2.50 annually 12.50 

Interest on original investment, 6% 16.00 

Cost over 5 years $62.60 

Annual cost $12.60 

$12.50 / 365 = 8 42/100 cents. 



SPECIAL TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT 55 

method, sometimes called the ''hunt-and-peck 
system." 

While it is often argued by some that a com- 
bination of these methods may be developed, 
there is a clear distinction between the two. In 
the touch method of writing the striking of the 
proper keys is accomplished by reflex nerve im- 
pulses passing between the brain and the fingers, 
originating largely from the feeling of the fin- 
gers upon the keys. In all other methods of writ- 
ing the reflex action originates to some extent 
from the eyes also. The touch method is there- 
fore not only simpler and more rapid, but is much 
less tiring. 

The Touch Method 

It is not such a difficult matter to learn the 
touch method. If you will throw your patience 
and determination into the task, and attack the 
problem in the right manner, you can accomplish 
the desired result without undue effort. It is 
best when possible to do this during the vacation 
months, although this is not absolutely necessary. 
No matter when you purchase your machine, do 
not count on using it for your regular work, or 
even for writing letters, until two or three months 
have passed. 

Obtain a book of instructions when you pur- 



56 TACKLING TECH. 

chase your machine. Follow the directions for 
learning the touch method. Practice regularly 
an hour each day if possible. You will learn 
slowly at first. Use the chart of the key-board, 
furnished with the instructions, but never look 
at the keys themselves. Above all, Never 
Hurry. The whole secret of both speed and 
accuracy in typewriting is taking plenty of time 
and putting accuracy first. 

Mastering the Method 

Those who give up mastering the touch system 
of typing because it is too tedious, may learn to 
use a typewriter somewhat sooner than the man 
who persists and wins out. To know the ''hunt- 
and-peck" method is far better than to have no 
method at all. In the long run, however, the man 
who learns the most efficient method will far out- 
distance his rival. He will be well repaid for his 
greater patience and extra effort. By sliding 
into the ''hunt-and-peck system" a man learns to 
dash off from 15 to 25 words per minute. But 
when a man becomes proficient in the use of the 
touch method, he should be able to write from 30 
to 45 words per minute with far less expenditure 
of effort. An experienced typist, even on a port- 
able machine, is able to reach as high as 100 
words per minute. The touch method is also the 



SPECIAL TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT 57 

more accurate system to use. In order to drive 
home the importance of accuracy, it may be added 
that an experienced typist can write fully 25 
words in the time which is taken to correct a 
single error. 

Foresight in Learning Typewriting 

Men who go through college or complete their 
technical courses without learning to profit by the 
use of a typewriter are sooner or later likely to 
regret their lack of foresight. The amount of 
writing which it is advisable to typewrite in a 
four years' technical course is between 50,000 and 
100,000 words. ^ In addition there is probably 
at least twice this amount which can be typewrit- 
ten to advantage, including personal letters, etc. 
Work done in this way is of course much neater, 
more legible, and in general more satisfactory 
than hand-written work. Usually a student will 
find that from twenty to thirty reports or themes 
must be written each term during the third and 
fourth years. When this becomes true in your 
case you will be thankful indeed to be able to 
perform your work quickly and easily on your 
own machine, instead of having to write it la- 
boriously by hand. 



2 Determined by investigation covering all types of courses at the 
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 



58 



TACKLING TECH. 



Selecting a Typewriter 

Just what typewriter you should purchase is 
often a puzzHng question. A portable model is 
usually desirable, provided it meets your other 
requirements. To aid you in selecting the best 
machine for your purpose an analysis has been 
made showing some of the considerations to 
weigh in purchasing a machine : 

Names of Machines 
Qualifications Weighting * (Example) 



Durability 18 

Standard key-board 18 

Performance 18 

Price 12 

Convenience and access- 
ibility of parts 

Visibility of writing. . . 

Characters available. . . . 

Weight and dimensions. 

Repairs and other serv- 
ices by the company. . 



8 



6 



10 
15 
15 
10 



Totals 100 



78 



* The numbers shown here may be varied so as to represent the 
taste or needs of any prospective purchaser. 

Using the Slide Rule 

The use of a slide rule is now so common in 
nearly every technical institution that practically 
every student adds one of these instruments to 
his equipment before he completes his first year. 
This step can scarcely be taken too soon. From 
the very first the slide rule is likely to prove ex- 
tremely useful. 



SPECIAL TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT 59 

There is nothing really difficult about using a 
slide rule, though practice is necessary to gain 
speed and accuracy in complicated calculations. 
The principle upon which the instrument operates 
is simply the multiplication or division of two or 
more numbers by the addition or subtraction of 
their corresponding logarithms. Since the figures 
on the slide rule measure ofif logarithmic distances, 
the addition or subtraction of these distances by 
placing them side by side accomplishes multipi- 
cation or division of the numbers. Long series of 
computations can be quickly and easily worked 
through on the slide rule, with only a few simple 
movements of the center scale and slider. 

A few suggestions on use of the slide rule are : 

1. Obtain a book of instructions and read through 
the suggestions for handling particular types of prob- 
lems. Practice the easiest ways of performing the 
necessary operations for each type, until the correct 
method becomes a habit. 

2. Learn to apply your common sense to the problem 
in hand, as, for example, in determining the position 
of the decimal point. Often the easiest way to do this 
is to point off the answer by a rapid mental calculation, 
which will also furnish a check upon the reasonable- 
ness of the answer. 

3. Learn to perform every type of calculation with 
the least possible number of movements. If the in- 
verted or split scales are on the rule, use should be 
made of them from the very first. 



6o TACKLING TECH. 

A Sample Calculation on the Slide Rule 

Students will often purchase a slide rule and 
use it for a year or more without ever learning 
to profit by many of its labor-saving devices. In 
fact, there are many very simple operations on 
even the ordinary slide rule which only need to 
be described to be appreciated, but which are used 
by very few students. An example of a problem 
which is somewhat troublesome if handled in the 
ordinary way, but which can be accomplished 
with only four settings and three readings of the 
rule, is given below. 

Divide each of three (or more) numbers, 876, 575, 
and 143, for example, by their sum, 1,594, and deter- 
mine what percentage each number is of this sum. 

A simple solution of this problem can be ef- 
fected in this way : 

1. Place slider over 1,594 on bottom scale — Scale 
No. A. 

2. Move scale immediately above (Scale No. B) so 
that 876 is above 1,594. At the left above i on A scale, 
scale read 54.9% on the B scale. Answer No. i. 

3. Move B scale to the right till 575 is above 1,594. 
Above I on the left read 36.1%. Answer No, 2. 

4. Move B scale to the right till 143 is above 1,594. 
On the right above i on the A scale read 8.96%. 
Answer No, j. 

Work the above problem through in order to 
make sure you have grasped the simple principle 



SPECIAL TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT 6l 

involved. The reciprocal method furnishes an- 
other way of solving this type of problem, but 
the procedure given above is usually the more 
satisfactory. 

Selecting a Slide Rule 

The polyphase type of slide rule is probably the 
most satisfactory instrument for general use. In 
a series of inquiries among men of various engi- 
neering courses at the Massachusetts Institute of 
Technology, 60 per cent of the students used 
polyphase rules. This is probably true in other 
similar schools also. Ten per cent of the students 
used the simplest type of Mannheim rule and ap- 
proximately the same number used "log log'' 
rules. The remaining students had purchased 
polyphase duplex rules and others of special 
types. While many men have special preferences 
for various types of slide rules, and while certain 
work can, of course, only be done on special 
rules, the polyphase will probably meet all ordi- 
nary requirements. 

A Pocket Memorandum 

At times during your course the number of 
"little things" which you must keep in mind will 
be large, provided you work at full capacity. You 
cannot do your best in handling a complex prob- 



62 TACKLING TECH. 

lem if you try to keep all the details in your head. 
A suitable system of memoranda will aid you 
greatly here. ''Keep the little things on paper 
and the big ones in your head." 

Every man has his own pet system of pocket 
reminder. If you have not already adopted a 
system, however, there is one which is fairly 
standard and which satisfies the needs of the av- 
erage student very well. This system is called 
"Memindex."^ The little black booklet carried 
in your coat or vest pocket is convenient. Daily 
cards will remind you of your special errands 
and appointments for the day. In the other sec- 
tion of the book you can keep separate cards for 
important personal problems, and for recording 
ideas. Many students find these convenient also 
for lesson assignments. A few blank cards give 
an emergency note-taking equipment which is al- 
ways ready for use. In many different ways, 
with judicious use, Memindex or other similar 
systems of memoranda will help you to "plan 
your work and work your plan." 

A Practical Card File 

A second part of Memindex, or of any com- 
plete memorandum equipment, is the card file 
for your desk. This usually consists of a box 

3 Wilson Memindex Co., Rochester, N. Y. 



SPECIAL TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT 63 

containing one or more alphabetical indexes, in 
addition to the spare cards for the pocket memo- 
book. Such a card file is useful for preserving 
miscellaneous information and special material 
which must be kept compactly and referred to 
from time to time. 

Unless one is most careful, an alphabetical ar- 
rangement may prove to be a greater hindrance 
than a help. At times the indexes nd subindexes 
in a small desk file may become so confused that 
it is quite impossible to find what is wanted. 
Bothering with complicated filing methods is 
usually a waste of time. 

The simple method which I finally used may 
help you to reach quickly a satisfactory solution 
of your own particular problem. This consisted 
simply in typing ten or a dozen prominent tabs 
to slip into the main alphabetical index in their 
proper places. On each of these tabs was the title 
of an important section of work or activities, 
such as ''Fraternity" or ''Junior Prom Com- 
mittee." Whenever the number of cards behind 
one of the main tabs became inconveniently large, 
a redivision was made. To do this the cards 
were sorted, the worthless ones thrown out, and 
those remaining divided by means of two or three 
smaller tabs of a different color. For example, 
behind the yellow tab reading "Fraternity" there 



64 TACKLING TECH. 

soon appeared two white tabs which read ''House 
Manager" and ''Rushing." The theoretical flaws 
in such a method are all too obvious. In actual 
practice, however, I found the scheme required 
very little time to maintain, and on the whole 
worked satisfactorily. 

Miscellaneous Equipment 

In addition to the special tools mentioned 
above, every student who desires to be efficient 
in his work should supply himself with other mis- 
cellaneous articles of equipment. A number of 
these are mentioned below. Check over the list 
to see how many of the articles mentioned you 
already have, and give thought as to how many 
of the others you might obtain to advantage. 

Pencils and pens Rubber stamps for name, 

Ink (black, india, red, etc.) addresses, etc. 

Blotters Scissors 

Pen- wiper Colored pencils 

Ruler Pencil-sharpener 

Erasers Library paste and glue 

Razor blades (for cutting Drawing instruments 

paper) Stationery 

Clips (several kinds) Scratch-paper 

Rubber bands Memo paper 

Twine Graph paper, and other spe- 
Letter-opener cial kinds 

Flat desk file (work-organ- Paper punch 

izer) Book-holders 

Letter files Desk calendar 



SPECIAL TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT 65 

Bibliography 
Clark, J. J. Slide Rule. 
Collins, C, D. Drafting Room Methods. 
Gowin, E. B. Developing Executive Ability. 
McClellan, R. Stenographer's Manual. (Niagara 

Falls, Wahl Printing and Binding Co.) History 

and Care of Typewriters. 
Pickworth, C. N. Slide Rule. 
Richardson, G. W. Slide Rule Simplified. 
Manuals of Typewriter Companies. 



CHAPTER VI 



HOW TO PASS EXAMS. 

There is only one road to the town of ^'Success," 
The name of the road is ''Work." 

— Dale Newell Carter 



Common Sense Methods 

There is no royal road leading to the passing 
of examinations. Nevertheless there are certain 
principles underlying one's preparation, one's 
mental attitude, and one's physical condition 
which should be mastered, and when these are 
rigorously applied the results will often be sur- 
prisingly good. 

The first principle is to study consistently and 
thoroughly your subjects throughout the term. 
This sounds like '^old stuff," but it is most sen- 
sible advice. 

Proper Use of Textbooks 

In order to study properly for most courses 
you must purchase for your own use the books 
required. It is poor policy to ''go halves" with 
another fellow on books which are worth buying 
at all. It is even poorer policy to borrow them. 
Purchase your own books and mark them up all 

66 



HOW PASS EXAMS. 67 

you wish, so as to have them always handy for 
review or reference. 

Proper Use of Notes 

The same advice applies to notes. These writ- 
ten records of the course are your own expres- 
sions of the knowledge which it holds for you. 
They are a textbook of which you yourself are 
the author, and as such you should make good 
use of them. (See Chapter IV.) 

I recall the case of a friend who made remark- 
ably good use of his notes in a certain engineering 
course. The course was of such a nature that 
there were no textbooks, and most of the mate- 
rial was presented in the form of lectures. To' 
my friend the subject matter which he was sup- 
posed to understand was for the first two months 
almost a complete mystery. Through sheer des- 
peration, however, he took all the notes possible, 
although for the most part they were meaning- 
less. Toward the end of the term, however, he 
began to see some light. By going back over his 
notes carefully the whole course cleared in his 
mind. He surprised himself by achieving the 
mark of ''Credit" on the final examination. 

Making Up Back Work 

During exam, time everyone works under high 
pressure. A man may be lazy at other times 



68 TACKLING TECH. 

throughout the year, but not then ! Whether the 
examinations to be tried are entrance, conditions, 
or finals, there is usually too much at stake for 
a man to loaf. He is willing to do almost any- 
thing at this time that will help him to pass. 

If everyone approached the time of examina- 
tion with work brought up to date, there would 
be little need of this chapter. But no one ever 
does! At least, the majority of fellows do not, 
and these are the ones who need help most. 

I recently assisted in lining up an examination 
week for a man who estimated that he had an 
average of five hours' make-up work for each of 
the eight subjects he was taking! In addition 
to this he estimated that it would require forty- 
five hours to review for his eight examinations. 
His case was perhaps not typical, for he was on 
the verge of flunking. Nevertheless, many men 
find their work in a discouraging state at the time 
of examinations. 

Preparation by Tutoring 

Tutoring gives a student close personal contact 
with the instructor. It practically assures a much 
more thorough understanding of the work than 
can otherwise be obtained. For this reason it is 
exceptionally valuable. It should be utilized not 
only for the purpose of passing an examination 



HOW PASS EXAMS. 69 

but also to grasp the underlying principles of a 
difficult subject. In cases where a student takes 
care to keep both of these ends in mind, tutoring 
with a competent instructor should bring excel- 
lent results. 

When it is a question of flunking or of passing 
a subject, the additional expense of tutoring 
should not be considered as an extravagance by 
either the student or his parents. The amount 
of ^uch expense for a* particular subject rarely 
exceeds $20. While this may look very large 
compared to the amount of tuition alone, it is 
probably less than one-fiftieth of the year's entire 
investment in the subject.^ When the impor- 
tance of understanding the work and of maintain- 
ing a clear record is realized, such an addition to 
the year's investment may well be considered 
worth while. 

Reviewing in Discussion Groups 

The possibility of '^brushing up" for exams, by 
combining the resources of several men in a dis- 
cussion group should always be kept in mind. 
This is applicable to only certain types of work, 
but in these it is likely to be more valuable than 
any other form of review. 



1 See Chapter XII, '*A Technical Education as a Business Invest- 
ment." 



yo TACKLING TECH. 

When arranging for a discussion group, there 
are two points which it is well to remember. 
First, make sure that each man brings with him 
all the material and information that he has col- 
lected. Second, have the size of the group suited 
to the work which is to be done. Three men 
usually form an effective combination, although 
the number will vary with different subjects to 
be studied. If the group is too large, time is 
likely to be wasted and many will not take part 
in the discussion at all. When possible a compe- 
tent leader should be in charge. 

Planning an Exam. Week 

No matter whether you are behind in your 
work, or w^hether you expect to pass your exami- 
nations without the slightest difficulty, you will 
do well to give heed to planning your exam, 
week. Make the most of the time you have in 
order to cover your work to the best advantage. 
There is a science as well as an art to the passing 
of exams. 

Let us suppose that you are confronted at this 
time with the problem of laying out a more or 
less troublesome exam, week schedule. Below 
is a method which has stood the test of actual 
practice. You will find it applicable not only to 
examination week but to many other occasions 



HOW PASS EXAMS. 71 

when you must do a certain amount of work 
within a given time. 

A Method Which Works 

First, on a sheet of 83/2 x 1 1 paper, make out a 
Hst of what you have to do (Figure 3). This 
should be done, and in fact your whole exam, 
week planned, several days before exams, act- 
ually start. Your list of tasks will look some- 
thing like this : 



WORK TO BE DONE 

( Hours ^ 

1st Estimate Revised 

Subject A Back Work 9 6 

Subject B Back Work 4 2 

Subject D Preparation for Exam.. 4 4 

Subject E Preparation for Exam.. 8 6 

Etc etc. etc. 

Totals 81 42^/^ 



Figure 3. Program of Work for Examination Week 

Notice that you have two columns at the right, 
one for the first estimate and a second for the re- 
vised time. Fill in only the first estimate now. 
Put the hours down in this column which you 
actually believe you will spend in doing the work 
reasonably well. 

Next, lay out on other similar sheets (or on a 



i^ 



y2 TACKLING TECH. 

standard schedule card) all the hours which you 
have available during the examination period. 
Right here is where the ^'art" comes in. Do not 
ail in too much of your time for study. 

Exercise and Recreation 

The sort of work which is required of you dur- 
ing examinations is different from the regular 
routine. You must make allowance for this. 
Give yourself at least an extra half-hour of sleep 
each night. Do not study more than two hours 
and a half at a stretch. Get some exercise and 
recreation every day. Follow these suggestions 
to the letter and you will be surprised at the dif- 
ference in results. 







EXAM. WEEK SCHEDULE 








TIME AVAILABLE 








THURSDAY 


Study 


7:30 




Up (plenty of time for breakfast) 




9-12 




Exam. Subject A 




12-2 




Lunch and outdoor recreation 




2-3 :30 




Study 


I'A 


3 :30-5 




Study 


I'A 


5-8:30 




Early dinner and movies 




8:30-10 


:30 


Study 


2 


II 




Bed 




Total 


for Day 


.. 5 





Figure 4. (a) Time Available Sheet for One Day in 
Examination Week 



HOW PASS EXAMS. 73 

Figure 4a is a day from an actual Time 
Available Sheet, made out for a day during exam, 
week. Study this over carefully and make your 
own out similarly. 

Making Ends Meet 

When you have made out a chart showing 
your plan of work and recreation from the time 
reviewing begins until examinations are over, 
you are ready for the next step. This is to add up 
your total time available and compare it with 
the number of hours' work you have to do. Be 
sure to carry this out as suggested. It will give 
you an excellent idea of what you are really ''up 
against.'' 

Next begin to pare down the hours of work 
that you will actually give to each subject. You 
will find it possible to cut off an hour or so here, 
and eliminate a task which is not essential there. 
No matter how seriously you have to cut down 
the hours of preparation, you must make the 
''hours available" equal to the "hours of work to 
be done." You are making the best possible use 
of your time, and that is all that you can do. 

In planning your work make up your mind 
that you are going to apply yourself as diligently 
on the review as you do in an exam. There will 
be few interruptions at this time. An hour's 



74 TACKLING TECH. 

studying, therefore, means an actual hour of 
work, and you should be able to do more in this 
hour than you usually can in an hour and a half. 

Deciding When to Study for Each Exam. 

There is one more step, which is sometimes the 
hardest of all. It may take you an hour or two 
to shift the periods of study for particular sub- 
jects SO' that the work will be done on time. 
Never mind how much reviewing you might do 
in these two hours. It will be worth your while 
to spend this time and plan your week with care. 

By first determining the length of time you 
are to study on any particular subject, you made 
it much easier to decide when you should do the 
studying. Let us say, for example, that your 
third examination is Physics, on Wednesday. If 
you have made out no plan of work, it will be 
difficult to decide just when you may best study 
for this. By planning your work, however, you 
determine definitely that you can afford to put 
eight hours on the review of Physics. Further- 
more, you know very nearly the exact hours be- 
tween Monday and Wednesday which you have 
available for study. It is not nearly so difficult 
now to decide just which times are the best. 
Figure 4b shows a Time Available Sheet which 
has been completely filled in. 



HOW PASS EXAMS. 75 







EXAM. WEEK SCHEDULE 








TIME AVAILABLE 








THURSDAY 


Study 


7:30 




Up (plenty of time for breakfast) 




9-12 




Exam. Subject A 




12-2 




Lunch and outdoor recreation 




2-2 :30 




Study. Subject D 


I'A 


3 '30-5 




Study. Subject E 


i^ 


5-8:30 




Early dinner and movies 




8:30-10 


:30 


Study. Subject B 


2 


II 




Bed 




Total 


for Day 


.. 5 



Figure 4. (b) Time Available Sheet Completely Filled In 

Various Methods 

When actually arranging the times to study 
particular subjects, many fellows find it helpful 
to give their most difficult subjects preference. 
It is usually best, however, not to study any sub- 
ject too near the time when the examination must 
be tried. A good rule is either to drop work en- 
tirely or to change to some other subject several 
hours before the test is started. Cramming in a 
few minor details at the last minute rarely helps 
you to pass. 

There are men in every class and in every 
school whom no amount of coaching at exam, 
time can save from flunking — nor should it. But 
every fellow owes it to himself to fight until the 



76 TACKLING TECH. 

last and to do his best, no matter how far behind 
he may be. It makes no difference whether you 
are excellent or poor in your studies, the method 
outlined above will help you to win. 

Summary 

The procedure suggested in this chapter dif- 
fers from that of the fellow who tries to study 
until 2 A. M. before an examination and never 
looks ahead more than two days in his work. It 
means putting yourself both physically and men- 
tally in condition for an exam., and this is what 
really counts. In a technical course it is essential 
that you review your subjects. You can do this 
best by hard concentrated effort. But to pass a 
difficult exam, you need also to be ^'in trim" and 
''feeling fit." It is the man who, through good 
judgment and careful planning, can strike a bal- 
ance, and achieve both of these aims, who will 
win out in the long run. Later he will be able to 
open the terrifying envelope and find that he has 
passed. 

Bibliography 

Blair, F. G. Study and Use of Books. (National Edu- 
cational Association. Proceedings, 1909, p. 852-59.) 

Dearborn, G. V. N. How to Learn Easily. 

Dillingham, J. D. Study Clinics. (School Review. 
Vol. 29, Jan. 1921, p. 15-16.) 



HOW PASS EXAMS. yy 

Germane, C. E. Value of the Corrected Summary as 
Compared with Re-reading the same Article. (Ele- 
mentary School Journal. Vol. 21, Feb. 1921, p. 
461-64.) 

Value of the Controlled Summary as a Method 

of Study. (School & Society. Vol. 13, 1921, 

p. 730-32.) 
-Value of the Controlled Mental Summary as a 



Method of Studying. (School h Society. Vol. 

12, 1920, p. 59I-93-) 
Lull, H. C. A University How-to-Study Class. 

(School & Society. Vol. 4, 1916, p. 961-62.) 
Whipple, G. M. How to Study Effectively. 



CHAPTER VII 

HEALTH AND ENERGY^ 

He who half breathes^ half lives, — Sanskrit Writer 

Maintaining Sound Health 

Of all the factors which go for making a suc- 
cess or failure, not only in your college work but 
in later life, health is probably the most important. 
While you are spending four years in obtaining 
your college or technical education, establish 
firmly the habit of putting your health first. 

There are continuous calls for every ambitious 
man tO' overburden himself and cut the corners 
here and there in giving his body its proper 
amount of care. To neglect these matters in 
college means to neglect them through life. 
Sooner or later — and quite likely it will be be- 
fore you complete your four years' course — you 
will pay the penalty that may be lasting. 

Getting Sufficient Sleep 

First of all a student should get the proper 
amount of sleep. While individuals vary, there 
are very few men of college age who can do their 



1 In preparing this chapter the author is indebted to Dr. George W. 
Morse and Mr. Frank M. Kanaly for valuable suggestions. 



78 



HEALTH AND ENERGY 79 

best work on less than seven or eight hours of 
sleep. There are even fewer men who need more 
than eight hours. 

A refreshing sleep will enable you to grasp a 
particular subject or the underlying principles of 
a problem far more easily, for then you can act- 
ually tackle your jobs, instead of allowing them 
to push you. There is nothing more conducive to 
developing your self-reliance and yonr initiative, 
or to advancing you steadily in your work, than 
to get regularly the amount of sleep which you 
require. 

The best plan is to get eight hours of sleep 
each night. Do not cut the corners, especially 
during your first two years. While you are a 
freshman and a sophomore establish the habit of 
going to bed promptly. The less you deviate 
from this policy thereafter the better. 

Some students have difficulty in sleeping even 
though they go to bed. After an evening of 
study some light exercise will greatly relieve men- 
tal strain. The use of warm light-weight bed 
clothing is tO' be highly recommended. Good 
health, sufficient outdoor exercise, moderate 
fatigue, and a will to keep your mind off the prob- 
lems of yourself and your work after going to 
bed, are the most effective antidotes for sleepless- 
ness. 



8o TACKLING TECH. 

The Gospel of Relaxation 

In addition to obtaining sufficient sleep as a 
means of keeping your fatigue factor low, fol- 
low the '^Gospel of Relaxation." Read the excel- 
lent little booklet by Dr. William James, ''On 
Vital Reserves," and put his ''Gospel" into prac- 
tice. In discussing several good points in regard 
to "Yankee Inefficiency," Professor James says: 

We say that so many of our fellow-countrymen col- 
lapse, and have to be sent abroad to rest their nerves, 
because they work so hard. I suspect that this is an 
immense mistake. I suspect that neither the nature 
nor the amount of our work is accountable for the 
frequency and severity of our breakdowns, but that 
their cause lies rather in those absurd feelings of hurry 
and having no time, in that breathlessness and tension, 
that anxiety of feature and that solicitude for results, 
that lack of inner harmony and ease, in short, by which 
with us the work is so apt to be accompanied, and 
from which a European who should do the same work 
would nine times out of ten be free. 

Plan your work during the day so that you 
will have your "daily vacations" as well as your 
week-end good times. Relax now and then dur- 
ing an evening of study, perhaps by boxing or 
wrestling, or by taking a run around the block. 
Break of¥ from your study before you become too 
tired, and rest for five minutes by chatting with 
the fellows, before you take up the next job. 



HEALTH AND ENERGY 8l 

When you do desist from your work at all, drop 
it entirely. The ability to carry heavy loads, but 
not to worry about them except at the proper 
time, is one of the most valuable assets-.^ 

Importance of Physical Exercise 

Next in importance to sleep is physical exer- 
cise. From my own experience and observation 
I believe that in some respects a certain amount 
of exercise is of even greater importance than 
plenty of sleep. When your body is full of 
fatigue poisons you will be surprised at the imme- 
diate improvement resulting from a thorough 
physical workout. The fellow who is not get- 
ting a reasonable amount of exercise daily is 
fatally handicapping himself. 

Effects of Lack of Exercise 

It is very safe to say that lack of exercise is 
the cause of far more of both your physical and 
mental weariness than you imagine. If you feel 
''sour" at times and disgusted with life in gen- 
eral; if you lack the ambition or the energy to 
tackle your work from day to day; if you are 
troubled with a stujfify feeling in your head or a 
dull ache; or if you are just naturally going* 



2 Dr. George L. Walton's Book, "Why Worry?" is one of the best 
to read on this subject. 



82 TACKLING TECH. 

^^stale" on the job^ — try getting some exercise 
and see what a difference it will make. There is 
no better all-round doctor than Mother Nature, 
and exercise is her best medicine. 

Finding Time for Exercise 

The problem which bothers everyone in regard 
to getting sufficient exercise is how to find the 
time for it. The answer is, take the time. Put 
it on your schedule. First, set aside a certain 
amount of time for exercise in general. Second, 
apportion this to the various kinds of exercise, 
in such a way that you will get the maximum 
benefit and satisfy your individual needs. 

In general most kinds of exercise may be 
grouped in two classes or types. These are home 
and personal exercises (including walking, 
morning and evening exercises, etc.) and other 
forms, such as games, sports, and gymnasium 
work. Do not confine yourself to one of these 
types of exercise, but use both to keep your body 
in proper condition. 

What Exercise to Take — Walking 

Time spent in walking to and from school is 
not a loss, provided one makes the most of it. If 
done correctly, walking is one of the very best 
forms of exercise. A noted French physician 



HEALTH AND ENERGY 83 

has proclaimed that merely by walking on the 
balls of the feet (partially on tip- toe) during the 
course of the day one can correct many physical 
defects and keep oneself in good condition. 
Many students who have spent as much as an 
hour a day for several years walking to and from 
school, feel sure that they have gained more than 
they have lost from the added expenditure of time 
and energy. 

Home Exercises 

Exercises which can be taken in your room 
need not consume more than ten or fifteen min- 
utes a day. There are many different methods 
which are good. If you are fortunate enough to 
have a phonograph available, probably nothing 
can be better than the exercise records which may 
now be purchased. By the courtesy of Mr. 
Frank Kanaly, who has for several years been 
Athletic Director at the Massachusetts Institute 
of Technology, there are given here some simple 
but thoroughly practical exercises. Make use of 
these regularly morning and night. They will 
aid you to keep in first class condition. 

First Exercise — Abdominal Muscles 

From a starting position of standing with legs spread 
about two feet apart and arms extended forward hori- 
zontally : J 



,84 TACKLING TECH. 

Count I. Bend trunk forward and swing arms down- 
ward between legs. (Do not bend at the knees.) 

Count 2. Raise the trunk and swing arms horizon- 
tally to the left. 

Count J. Again swing downward between legs. 

Count 4. Swing arms horizontally to the right. 

Repeating to include 32 counts. 
Second Exercise — Intestinal Tract 

From the starting position of lying on the back with 
hands clasped under the head and legs raised vertically : 

Counts I and 2, Bend the knees and make contin- 
uous foot circles of about 18 inches in diameter. 

Repeating to include 16 counts. (While resting 
after this exercise, massage the abdominal region, 
using a circular movement of the hands.) 
Deep Breathing Exercise 

From a starting position of standing with legs to- 
gether and arms at sides : 

Count J. Inhale deeply, raising arms upward at 
sides until overhead. 

Count 2, Exhale, lowering arms to side. 

Count J. Inhale deeply, raising arms upward in 
front of body until overhead. 

Count 4, Exhale, lowering arms to side. 

Count 5. Arms bent at elbows and extend forward 
on level with shoulders. Inhale deeply, drawing elbows 
well back. 

Count 6. Exhale. "Pat it out" with the hands. 
Third Exercise — Liver-Squeezer 

From starting position of standing with legs and feet 
close together, and arms extended above the head with 
fingers clasped: 



HEALTH AND ENERGY 85 

Count I, Bend the trunk to the left. 

Count 2. Return to erect position. 

Count J. Bend the trunk to the right. 

Count 4. Return to standing position. 

Repeating to include 16 counts. 
Fourth Exercise — Trunk, Arms, and Legs 

From the starting position of lying on the back with 
hands at the sides : 

Count I, Raise the trunk to vertical position and 
touch the toes with the hands, arms extended. 

Count 2, Return to starting position. 

Repeat deep breathing exercise. 
Fifth Exercise — Legs, Trunk, and Arms 

From the starting position of standing with legs 
spread about two feet apart, and arms raised overhead 
and parallel: 

Count I, Full bend of trunk forward and down- 
ward, at the same time swinging the arms between the 
legs as far back as possible. 

Count 2. Return to starting position. 

Repeating to include 16 counts. 

Repeat deep breathing exercise. 
Sixth Exercise — Back, Arms, and Legs 

From the starting position of standing with legs and 
feet together, and hands at the sides : 

Count I. Full bend knees and place the hands on the 
floor beside the feet. 

Count 2. Extend the legs backward and straighten 
the arms. (The weight now rests upon hands and toes 
with face upward and back arched.) 

Count J. Return to same position as Count i. 

Count 4. Return to position. 



86 TACKLING TECH. 

Repeating to include i6 counts. 
Repeat deep breathing exercise. 

Bathing and Keeping Clean 

After your exercises in the morning especially, 
take a cold bath or shower. Then rub yourself 
dry with a harsh towel, making sure that no 
dampness remains on any part of the body. If 
a good reaction results from a cold bath it gives 
an excellent stimulus to the skin and to the whole 
body, and apparently in many cases aids also in 
building up resistance to colds and other mal- 
adies. 

Getting a Thorough Work-Out 

For a man to get the most from his body he 
must frequently have a thorough work-out. It 
may seem rather difficult at first to knock off for 
three or four hours a week and give the time to 
exercise, but try it for several months and you 
will be surprised at the improvement in your 
work and in your general health. To some this 
may savor of prep school days, when gym. was 
required three times a week. But drop into the 
gymnasium of your own free will, or join with 
one or two others in a game of hand ball, and you 
will be surprised at the enjoyment you get. 
When such exercise becomes monotonous, and 



HEALTH AND ENERGY 87 

when the season is right, try some Hvely outdoor 
sport. Learn to enjoy your work-outs, and take 
them regularly three times a week. The time so 
spent will be anything but wasted, and you will 
be able to perform your other duties better for 
having taken the extra time off. 

Common Sense in Eating 

Few men realize the important bearing of 
proper food and a balanced diet in generating an 
abundance of physical energy. Danger usually 
arises from disregarding the counsel of modera- 
tion. Students, especially, are likely to eat either 
too much or too little food. The former may 
cause trouble, due to the formation of poisons by 
the partially digested food, and the latter is sure 
to reduce a student's effectiveness. Eat enough to 
meet your needs but do not stuff your stomach 
with more food than you can possibly utilize. In 
striving to maintain the ideal balance it is well to 
remember that the amount of food required is 
practically proportional to the physical exercise 
taken. It has little to do with the mental activity. 
Give your body the amount and the kind of fuel 
it demands to carry on its work. Do not over- 
supply it with trash which does more harm than 
good. 

It would be absurd for a student burdened with 



88 TACKLING TECH. 

all his other cares to bother about a balanced diet. 
Ordinarily the appetite is the best of guides. In 
the eating of two classes of food, however (pro- 
teins and cellulose material), the appetite is of 
little assistance in determining the proper 
amounts. In general too much protein and too 
little cellulose material is eaten. Below are ap- 
pended some suggestions by authorities on the 
subject of foods who are familiar also with the 
needs and failings of the average student : 

Eat plenty of fruit, preserved or fresh. 

Eat plenty of coarse vegetables. 

Eat meat not oftener than once a day. Most stu- 
dents eat twice as much protein as necessary. This 
includes meat, fish, cheese, nuts, etc. Moire than 
enough protein for an average student for one day 
would be obtained from the following: One egg, one 
glass of milk, four slices of bread, and six ounces of 
lean meat or fowl. 

Eat coarse bread. Bran muffins are excellent for 
scraping the intestinal tract. 

Drink plenty of water. Eight glasses a day is a good 
standard. 

Eat a moderate amount of pastry and sweets. 

Beware of an excess of tea or coffee. 

Prevention of Colds 

The ravages of colds upon the health and gen- 
eral efficiency of students during a school year 
are of serious consequence. The tendency among 



HEALTH AND ENERGY 89 

those fighting this menace is toward prevention 
of the epidemic rather than cure. By giving 
heed to the details of caring for yourself, you can 
do much in aiding this w^ork. 

An important point to remember in avoiding 
colds is to keep the teeth and mouth scrupulously 
clean. Don't spare the tooth brush, either morn- 
ing or night. A still more serious danger than 
mouth infection lies in incomplete excretion from 
the intestinal tract. Gowin speaks of this as the 
''worst of all anti-efficient maladies." A better 
treatment for constipation than any amount of 
cathartic is sufficient exercise, six or eight glasses 
of cold water a day, and a couple of bran muffins. 
By keeping your body as free from dirt and poi- 
sons as possible, getting plenty of sleep, and by 
taking precautions against damp feet, either from 
perspiration or moisture from the outside, you 
should easily be able to reduce your susceptibility 
to taking cold to one-third of what it would be 
ordinarily. This is a long step toward attaining 
the goal of 100 per cent efficiency in health and 
energy, which should be every student's aim. 

The following suggestions are taken from a 
paper entitled ''Colds and Coughs," by Dr. G. H. 
Boehmer, of Sandusky, Ohio. After duly empha- 
sizing the fact that colds are not by any means 
taken seriously enough, either by the average 



go 



TACKLING TECH. 



physician or the average patient, the author 
points out the wide range of secondary disorders, 
which can be directly traced back to the patient 
having ^'caught a cold," and continues : 

I think the sooner we quit "kidding ourselves'' with 
the so-called cold cures, the sooner we regard all 
colds, especially of the respiratory tract, with gravity 
and anxiety, impress our patients with their complica- 
tions and secondary disorders and make them under- 
stand that isolation and rest in bed is the most satisfac- 
tory, quickest and safest cure, we will have gone a long 
way towards accomplishing something definite, reliev- 
ing much suffering and materially reducing our death 
rate. 

Bibliography 

Bainbridge, F. A. Physiology of Muscular Exercise. 
Camp, W. C. Keeping Fit All The Day. 
Fisher, I. Effect of Diet on Endurance. 
Walters, F. M. Principles of Health Control. 
Williams, J. F. Healthful Living. 



CHAPTER VIII 

GENERAL STUDIES— READING AND 
SELF-EXPRESSION 

There are two general classes of competency which are 
generated in the schools. These are Competency to Serve 
and Competency to Appreciate and Enjoy. — Professor J. B. 
Johnson. "Two Kinds of Education for Engineers." Wad- 
dell and Harrington, Addresses to Engineering Students. 

The Importance of Non-Technical Courses 

In the curricula of most technical schools at the 
present time a considerable number of general 
studies are included. These consist chiefly of 
courses in English, History, Language, General 
Science, Economics, and Fine Arts. To those 
who are unfamiliar with the needs of technical 
students, the reason for the introduction of such 
subjects is not always clear. Probably in your 
case, if you were left to your own resources in 
beginning a course of technical study, you would 
eliminate to a large extent all extraneous work 
and would then feel that you were ''getting 
down to business." In reality, the general studies 
offered in connection with technical courses of 
training form what is unquestionably an essential 
part of the broader training of the engineer 
today. 

91 



92 TACKLING TECH. 

The study of subjects other than those deahng 
with science, mathematics, and the mechanics of 
engineering gives you a broader basis upon which 
to build your speciahzed training. It has been 
wisely said that the competent engineer should 
know ''something about everything, and every- 
thing about something." 

Getting the Most from General Studies 

There are two ways in which you may regard 
a general study which you take. Either you may 
look upon it as a nuisance, and as something to 
be passed off with as little unnecessary effort as 
possible; or you may regard it as giving you ex- 
ceptional opportunities for recreation and broader 
development. Formerly, such studies may have 
been irksome to you ; now you can go to them for 
enjoyment and a wider outlook. 

Selecting Optional Courses Wisely 

The problem of what general or optional 
courses you should choose is an important one 
to consider. An acquaintance, who had recently 
taken work in both a technical institution and a 
large university to obtain his doctor's degree, 
emphasized strongly in discussing this subject 
the necessity for a most careful selection of such 
courses by technical students, in order to avoid 



GENERAL STUDIES 93 

the danger of too narrow technical training. Also, 
he appreciated the advisability of selecting courses 
which could not be mastered later. 

Self-Expression for the Engineer 

In the past it was felt that engineers found lit- 
tle use for anything beyond a cursory training in 
English composition and rhetoric. At the pres- 
ent and in the future, however, this error is bound 
to be rectified. The engineer is no longer an iso- 
lated calculator of mathematical results, but is 
called upon to throw himself bodily into the 
struggle of modern business. For every pro- 
gressive step that is made, there are contracts to 
be drawn up, reports to be written, and boards of 
directors to be convinced. Important transac- 
tions, whether of a business or a purely scientific 
nature, are the results of exchanges of thought. 
The engineer and the technical expert are re- 
peatedly called upon to interpret as well as to 
record the findings of their investigations. As 
one of the broader technically trained men of 
today, desiring every opportunity for success, you 
must prepare yourself to meet these requirements. 

Means of Improvement 

There are many ways in which the technical 
student can greatly improve his ability to express 



94 TACKLING TECH. 

himself while he is obtaining his regular course 
of training. The reading of good books is an 
excellent stepping stone to improvement in the 
use of English. The courses customarily given 
in English and Public Speaking in most technical 
schools are regarded by many students as com- 
paratively unimportant. In reality they are of 
scarcely less importance than the technical train- 
ing itself. 

Establishing a Goal of Self-Expression 

There are two definite goals of achievement in 
self-expression toward which you should strive 
throughout your course: First, you should be 
able to write a first rate report on a technical or 
semitechnical subject; second, if given a similar 
topic you should be able to address a group of 
men forcefully and effectively. 

A report is not to be regarded as a mass of in- 
formation thrown together in writing, nor even 
as a fairly well-connected statement of facts and 
conclusions. Rather it should be a carefully 
planned, logical statement, directed toward the 
accomplishment of a definite purpose. Its form 
should be standard, the organization and presen- 
tation of its material should be effective, and its 
English should be clear and concise. 

Your ease in speaking should be so well devel- 



GENERAL STUDIES 95 

Oped through continued training ,and practice 
that you will be able to address an audience with- 
out losing your poise and self-control. Learn to 
marshal your facts in such a clear, forceful, and 
unhesitating manner, that they drive home your 
points convincingly. 

Business men who deal with graduates of 
many of our technical institutions complain that 
they find them inadequately trained to cope with 
the human factor. In the future it will be the 
man who has the ability tO' express his thoughts 
readily and convincingly both in writing and 
speaking who will fill the highest positons. 

The Student Engineer and Good Literature 

There is nothing better to get your thoughts 
out of a rut and to refresh your mind and imagi- 
nation than good reading. Have you ever con- 
sidered that in reading a book you are usually 
getting within a few hours the concentrated re- 
sults of perhaps years of thought and effort by 
the author ? An acquaintance used to say that he 
could get more real fun out of his Mark Twain 
than most of us did from the movies. This habit 
of reading will stand you in good stead through- 
out your whole life as an infallible means of im- 
proving your general knowledge and of giving 
you recreation and enjoyment. 



96 TACKLING TECH. 

Finding Time to Read 

Students are likely to say that reading is not 
possible for a man taking a technical course, but 
I heartily disagree with them. Considerable 
reading can be done by any college or technical 
man, no matter how busy he may be. It is 
largely a matter of filling in the spare moments, 
and the habit of picking up a good book or mag- 
azine and reading it as the opportunity presents 
itself is well worth your while to cultivate. 

There is also the further possibility of making 
your reading an incentive for completing your 
other work. Plan to give up certain quiet hours 
to enjoyable books. Arrange this on your sched- 
ule. Soon you will learn to anticipate these and 
to appreciate them fully. And in the end you will 
acquire the habit of reading rapidly and inten- 
sively when deeply interested. 

What to Read 

What you read will depend of course some- 
what upon the conditions and circumstances of 
the time at your disposal. The summer offers a 
good opportunity for the books that are too long 
to undertake during a school term. I recall an 
acquaintance who made out a carefully selected 
list of books to read before he left school after 
his second year. During the summer he com- 
pleted the reading of more than a dozen of them. 



GENERAL STUDIES 97 

On the other hand, while school is in session, one 
book a month is a reasonable standard to main- 
tain. A list of books and periodicals is here 
added to guide you in a wise choice of reading 
throughout your four years' course. 

Specific Suggestions ^ 

The objective of the study of required text- 
books is a mental discipline that pushes forward 
the frontiers of knowledge. The objective of 
cultural reading is a mental pleasure and a vis- 
ion that pushes forward the frontiers of life. 

Suggested Authors Suggested Books^ 

Humor 

Mark Twain Huckleberry Finn 

Stephen Leacock Nonsense Novels 

Heywood Broun Seeing Things at Night 

Robert Benchley Of All Things 

Donald Ogden Stewart Outline of History 

A parody *'which makes 
you laugh aloud when you 
read it in solitude." 

Louis Untermeyer Heavens 

Parodies by virtue of 
which "he wins the im- 
mortals by his limitations 
of immorality." 



1 This list of books and periodicals has been compiled especially for 
"Tackling Tech." by Mr. W. Frederic Berry, Librarian of the 
Christian Science Monitor, Boston, Massachusetts. 

2 In every case other books by the same author are likely to be of 
equal interest and value. 



98 



TACKLING TECH. 



Suggested Authors 

English 
Rudyard Kipling 
R. L. Stephenson 
Hugh Walpole 

Joseph Conrad 

Gilbert Chesterton 

John Galsworthy 
Conan Doyle 

Daniel Corkery 



Alys Eyre Macklin (trans- 
lator) 



American 
Edith Wharton 
Willa Cather 

Zona Gale 
O. Henry 
Don Marquis 

Booth Tarkington 



Suggested Books 



Fiction 



Kim 

Kidnapped 

The Dark Forest 

The Secret City 

Youth 

Nostromo 

The Napoleon of Notting 
Hill 

The Forsyte Saga 

Micah Clarke 

The Hound of the Basker- 
villes 

The Hounds of Banba 
An intimate revelation of 
the soul of the Irish revo- 
lution written with rare 
literary charm. 

Twenty-nine French Tales 
These fascinating contes 
are so many touchstones 
to the understanding of 
the French character. 



The Age of Innocence 
O Pioneers ! 
My Antonia 
Miss Lulu Bett 
The Trimmed Lamp 
Cruise of the Jasper 
Carter and Other People 
Alice Adams 



GENERAL STUDIES 



99 



Suggested Authors 

Sinclair Lewis 
Sherwood Anderson 



Suggested Books 

The Job 

The Triumph of the Egg 



Psychology y Philosophy, and Ethics 
John Dewey Human Nature and Conduct 



D. Drake 

James Harvey Robinson 

William James 



E. B. Holt 

F. C. Kelly 
W. E. Hocking 

W. L. Chenery 

Otto Kahn 



John Hayes Hammond and 

Jeremiah Jenks 
Rudolph Eucken 
Walter Weyl 
Walter Lippman 
Graham Wallace 



Problems of Conduct 
Mind in the Making 
Selected Papers on Phil- 
osophy 
The Will to Believe and 

Other Essays 
Pragmatism 
The Freudian Wish 

Present-Day Questions 

Human Nature in Business 

Human Nature and Its Re- 
making 

Industry and Human Wel- 
fare 

Our Economic and Other 
Problems 

Great American Issues 



Socialism, an Analysis 
Tired Radicals 
Public Opinion 
Human Nature in Politics 
Our Social Heritage 



Essayists 
(Best of companions for the odd moments) 
Max Beerbohm More — Works 

A. A. Milne As I May 



lOO 



TACKLING TECH. 



Suggested Authors 

E. V. Lucas 

John Galsworthy 

Samuel McChord Crothers 

Agnes Repplier 
Katherine Fullerton Gerould 
Logan Pearsall Smith 
C. B. Fairbanks 



Suggested Books 

Adventures and Enthusiasms 

A Sheaf 

Humanly Speaking 

The Gentle Reader 

Compromises 

Modes and Morals 

Trivia 

My Unknown Chum 



NaHtre and Out of Doors 



John Burroughs 



John Muir 

C. G. D. Roberts 

William Beebe 

Theodore Roosevelt 



Camping and Tramping 

With Roosevelt 
Field and Study 
The Yosemite 
Secret Trails 
Alone in the Jungle 
Jungle Trails 
African Game Trails 
Wilderness Hunter 
Through the Brazilian 

Wilderness 



Drama 



George Bernard Shaw 
Sir James Barrie 
John Galsworthy 



John Masefield 
John Dtinkwater 
Arthur Pinero 



Man and Superman 

Caesar and Cleopatra 

The Admirable Crichton 

Echoes of the Wiar 

Strife 

Justice 

The Silver Box 

The Tragedy of Nan 

Abraham Lincoln 

The Second Mrs. Tanqueray 

Mid-Channel 



GENERAL STUDIES 



lOI 



Suggested Authors 
Clyde Fitch 
Oscar Wilde 

Augustus Thomas 
W. B. Yeats 

Lord Dunsany 
William Vaughn Moody 
Charles Rann Kennedy 



Suggested Books 

The Truth 

Climbers 

An Ideal Husband 

Lady Windermere's Fan 

As a Man Thinks 

The Hour Glass and Other 

Plays 
Five Plays 
The Great Divide 
The Servant in the House 



Poetry 
Oxford Book of English Verse, ed. by A. Quiller-Couch 
Book of Modern British Verse, ed. by W. S. B. Braith- 

wate 
Modern American Poetry, Modern British Poetry, ed* by 

Louis Untermeyer 
Chief American Poets, ed. by C. H. Page 
High Tide, Songs of Joy and Vision from Present Day 

Poets, ed. by Mrs. Waldo Richards 
Don Marquis Poems and Portraits 

Robert Frost North of Boston 

Rudyard Kipling Collected Poems 

John Masefield Salt Water Poems and Bal- 

lads 
Robert Service Spell of the Yukon 



H. G. Wells 
Hendrik Van Loon 
Chronicles of America, 50 
volumes 



History and Science 

Outline of History 
Story of Mankind 
Every phase of political, 
economic, and social de- 
velopment of the United 
States is treated in this 
invaluable series. 



I02 



TACKLING TECH. 



Suggested Authors 
J. Arthur Thomson 



Edwark Bok 

Henry Adams 
Gamaliel Bradford 



E. T. Raymond 
Walter Lowry 



Lord Charnwood 
A. Rothschild 
Bradley Gilman 

Hermann Hagedorn 



Suggested Books 

The Outline of Science 

University of Aberdeen; 
the aim of this work is to 
give in plain language an 
outline of the main scien- 
tific ideas of today. 

Biography 

Americanization of Edward 

Bok 
Education of Henry Adams 
Union Portraits 
Confederate Portraits 
Portraits of American 

Women 
Uncensored Celebrities 
(British publicists of to- 
day) 
Washington Close-Ups 
(American publicists of 
today) 
Life of Abraham Lincoln 
Lincoln, Master of Men 
Roosevelt the Happy War- 
rior 
Roosevelt in the Bad Lands 



Religion 

No books have been added on this subject, not because 
of a lack of appreciation of its supreme value, but from 
the conviction that each individual must find the road best 
suited to his temperament. However, one book — the great 
book of religion, the Bible — may well be studied. An in- 
valuable introduction to this study is to be found in the 
"Shorter Bible, Old and New Testament," edited by Pro- 



GENERAL STUDIES 103 

fessor Kent of Yale University. Modern Reader's Bible — 
Professor Richard Moulton. 

Newspapers and Periodicals 

Daily 
New York Times 
New York Tribune 
New York Evening Post 
Philadelphia Public Ledger 
Baltimore American 
New Orleans Times-Picayune 
Chicago Tribune 
Chicago Daily News 
St. Louis Globe-Democrat 
Los Angeles Times 
San Francisco Chronicle 
Boston Transcript 
Boston Herald 
Christian Science Monitor 

Weekly 

The Outlook 

The Independent and Weekly Review (constructively a 

conservative bi-weekly) 
The New Republic (liberal) 

The Freeman (high literary standard — ^advanced radical) 
The Literary Digest 

Magazines 

Scribner's Magazine 
Harper's Magazine 
The Atlantic Monthly 
The Century 

Special Features 

New York World 

HeywQod Broun — *Tt Seems to Me" (brilliant, pene- 
trating, provocative) 



104 TACKLING TECH. 

Franklin P. Adams — "The Conning Tower" (prince of 
columnists) 
New York Evening Post 

Christopher Morley — "The Bowling Green" (stimulating 
literary persiflage) 
The Literary Review (best critical paper in the United 

States) 
New York Tribune 

Don Marquis — Columns 
News Interpreters — Worth Reading 

Mark Sullivan 

Frank H. Simonds 

Charles H. Grasty 

Herbert Adams Gibbons 

Crawford Price 

David Lawrence 

Ray Stannard Baker 



CHAPTER IX 

ACTIVITIES 

The Appeal of Activities in College 

College activities are in reality very much like 
high school activities in a more advanced form. 
They are your old friends dressed up in new 
clothes. In high school you may never have 
thought of the Glee Club, school dramatics, the 
debates, or the athletic teams as ''activities." In 
a sense, all the things of this sort in which you 
took part, outside of your regular studies and 
possibly your home duties, could be so named. 

Upon your entrance to college or a technical 
school you find all these functioning, but on a 
larger scale. The incentive to go out for activi- 
ties is stronger in college than in a preparatory 
school, and the benefits which can be derived are 
far greater. There is a stronger appeal to make 
good wdiere competition is keen, and the rewards 
are correspondingly great, but the demands of 
activities upon your time and energy may be 
dangerously increased. 

Activities for the Freshman and the Senior 

The man who comes to a college or a technical 
school filled with the determination to get the 

105 



lo6 TACKLING TECH. 

most from his four years of training finds that 
the term "activities" means more and more as 
each year passes. The student who has been 
^ ^through the milF' sees no longer anything mys- 
terious in undergraduate organizations. Al- 
though especially familiar with details pertain- 
ing to the particular positions which he himself 
held, he is easily able to picture all the activities 
of the school and their relationship to one another. 
In another school, also, he would find little diffi- 
culty in quickly grasping the scheme of activities 
as a whole, and in fitting each group into its place. 
The freshman, on the other hand, knows little 
about activities, except what he learns through 
the channels open to him. The managership 
competition or the '^chasing of ads." seems of 
greater importance than the relationship between 
the Athletic Association and the Board of Stu- 
dent Government. At times he wonders, per- 
haps, where these detailed duties will lead him. 
In order to select wisely the opportunities which 
possibly are open, and to make the most of those 
so chosen, it is essential that a freshman strive to 
relate the groups of activities to the whole. 

Studying Activities to Advantage 

Every man sooner or later realizes that his 
knowledge concerning activities is incomplete. 



ACTIVITIES 107 

There are several methods whereby such knowl- 
edge can be improved. The year book at almost 
every institution is a veritable catalogue describ- 
ing activities, giving lists of managers, editors, 
etc., and an excellent idea of the organization 
carrying various lines of work. Moreover, the 
names of leaders and others well versed in the 
various activities can readily be obtained, and 
these men will converse gladly with younger 
students eager for information or counsel. 

Activities Analyzed 

Although the emphasis laid upon specific ac- 
tivities varies in schools, the general plan of stu- 
dent organization is the same. At the Intercol- 
legiate Conference on Undergraduate Govern- 
ment, held recently at the Massachusetts Institute 
of Technology, striking similarities were evi- 
denced between the main divisions of activities in 
each of the 42 colleges and technical schools rep- 
resented. An outline of activities, similar to that 
used at the Conference, is given below. 
I. Undergraduate Government 

Student Councils (Committees, Governing Bod- 
ies, etc.) 

Committees and Subcommittees 

Officers (President, Secretaries, Treasurers, Di- 
rectors, etc.) 

Class Officers 



io8 TACKLING TECH. 

Class Representatives 

Class Committees (Junior Prom, Senior Week, 
etc.) 

2. Athletics 

Athletic Association (Council, Committees, etc.) 

Officers 

President, Vice-President, Secretary, etc. 

Treasurer and Assistants (or Paid Manager) 

Managers and Assistant Managers 
Major Sports 

Football, Baseball, etc. 

Track 

Crew 
Minor Sports (Hockey, Gym., Boxing, etc.) 

Cheering Sections, etc. 

Interclass Sports 

Interfraternity Sports 

3. Publications 

Year Book 

Literary and Professional Magazines 
Newspapers 
Comics 
Handbooks 
Pictorials 

Special Class Papers, etc. 

Publicity Relations (reporting to outside papers, 
etc.) 

4. Musical Clubs and Dramatics 

Glee Club (regular membership, specialty acts, 

etc.) 
Instrumental Clubs 
Bands 
Musical Comedies 



ACTIVITIES loy 

Dramatics, Mystery Plays 
Folk Plays, Pageants, etc. 
Management 

General Managers and Submanagers 
Treasurers and Assistants 
Other Officers 

Benefits Derived from Training 

If you will maintain the proper relation be- 
tween activities and studies, and between activi- 
ties and your other pastimes, the benefits which 
you will derive are almost innumerable. You 
will be taught to mix with your fellows, to learn 
to work harmoniously with many other members 
of an organization. Also, you will gain by your 
conduct and personality the confidence and re- 
spect of your fellows. Thus you will be given 
opportunities to develop your initiative, your 
*'stick-to-itiveness,'' and your judgment. You 
will learn to accept responsibility and authority, 
and also to administer them. 

You will learn also from bitter experience the 
importance of seeking and heeding the advice 
both of friends and of enemies. Your interests 
will be broadened, and your abilities increased. 
In short, if you will but seek to obtain from activi- 
ties the opportunities they ofifer, you will gain 
from them a large part of the broader education 
and training most necessary for your proper de- 
velopment. 



110 TACKLING TECH. 

The Activities Laboratory 

Activities are experimental laboratories, in 
which, during your four years' course, you can 
carry out important and valuable study in human 
engineering. By this means you will learn early 
to size up yourself by comparing your standards 
with those of the other fellows. By this process 
you will learn to test yourself under severe 
strains, and to receive with equanimity criticisms 
which are often harsh and biting. In addition you 
will need at tirnes to curb your ambitions and sub- 
ordinate your will, in order that through work- 
ing in harmony with your fellows better co-opera- 
tion may be obtained. The results of these exper- 
iments will give you knowledge of your strong 
and weak points which later will be invaluable, 
and which will help you to improve your ability 
at the time when such improvement is most ad- 
vantageous. Hence the man taking a technical 
course does well to go out for activities, and to 
emphasize in them the spirit of play as much as 
possible. 

Special Advantages from Certain Activities 

Certain types of activities give in many cases 
special advantages to the man who participates 
in them. This, for example, is true of athletics ; 
for besides the UwSual advantages to be derived 



ACTIVITIES III 

from an extra-curriculum pastime, most of the 
exercise obtained tends to keep a man in better 
condition both physically and mentally. Statis- 
tics indicate that in technical schools especially, 
where the burden of work to be done may be par- 
ticularly severe, a break in the health of students 
is most likely to occur near the end of the third 
year. Students who go in for an athletic event 
for which they must train regularly, inevitably 
avoid the hazards of not obtaining sufficient ex- 
ercise. 

An Example 

Almost innumerable examples of similar ad- 
vantages might be mentioned. One only will be 
cited — the opportunities of becoming personally 
acquainted with members of the faculty and of 
meeting prominent and successful alumni. In 
the case of faculty members, more intimate ac- 
quaintances are almost invariably established than 
in the every-day work, and the benefits derived 
by the student are increased correspondingly. 

As an example of such associations the expe- 
riences of a friend who recently completed his 
fourth year at the Massachusetts Institute of 
Technology are to the point. He filled the im- 
portant position of Undergraduate Treasurer 
during his senior year, and he had previously 



112 TACKLING TECH. 

held several others of almost equal importance. 
While performing these tasks he had come into 
personal contact with the President of the Bos- 
ton Chamber of Commerce, the Chairman of the 
Boston Federal Reserve Board, several other men 
who were heads of various well-known manu- 
facturing industries, and financial officers of the 
Institute. Discussions of actual business prob- 
lems with men of such caliber are bound to be of 
great present and future value to students. 

Resume 

No figures are at present available to show 
conclusively the effect of activities upon men in 
engineering professions. Nevertheless, statistics 
indicate that as many as two-thirds of the eminent 
engineers in the country took at least some part 
in functions of this sort during their four years 
of training.^ 

Many educators are awakening to the impor- 
tance of the really valuable training which men 
receive in activities. A report covering an ex- 
haustive research into this matter at the Massa- 
chusetts Institute of Technology surveys the field 



1 A report compiled by Professor Raymond Walters, Dean of 
Swarthmore College, through the American Association of Collegiate 
Registrars, states that out of approximately 180 eminent engineers 
whose undergraduate records were studied, 61 had taken some part 
in athletics, 122 in literary and scientific activities, and 115 in social 
organizations. 



ACTIVITIES 113 

from various angles. On the question of how 
activities are regarded by prospective employers 
of engineering students, opinions from the heads 
of courses were obtained. Fairly stated, the con- 
sensus of these opinions was that a man promi- 
nent in activities and of reasonably high scholas- 
tic standing was in greater demand by outside 
business organizations than one showing extra- 
ordinary ability only in his professional work. 

The time may yet come when credits will be 
granted for satisfactory work performed in activi- 
ties, as well as that done in the more regular 
courses of training provided by our educational 
institutions. Both at the Carnegie Institute of 
Technology and at the Massachusetts Institute of 
Technology the feasibility of granting a certain 
amount of scholastic credit to activities by means 
of a point system is being seriously considered. 



CHAPTER X 

PLAYING THE ACTIVITIES GAME 

Getting a Good Start 

College training is valuable because it encour- 
ages and indeed forces men to undertake a wide 
variety of duties, and minimizes the cost of dam- 
age wrought through mistakes. Similarly, ac- 
tivities encourage a man to shoulder heavy re- 
sponsibilities and to perform difficult tasks, and at 
the same time heap most of the rewards for suc- 
cess and penalties for failure on the individual. 
You may go out for an activity, therefore, secure 
in the knowledge that if you do not succeed in 
your effort few others will suffer as a result of 
your failure. 

It is not essential that a man have great inher- 
ent ability in order to go out for a particular 
activity. Activities afford opportunities for a 
man to try himself out and to develop ability 
along various lines. You may soon learn that 
you are entirely unsuited to that wliich you first 
attempt, but this knowledge itself is valuable. 
By careful selection and by sticking to the search 
you will find eventually something which you like, 
and something in which you will be able to make 
good. 

114 



PLAYING THE ACTIVITIES GAME 115 

Having an End in View 

While it is well to have some definite goal in 
activities, this is by no means essential. Many 
men, simply by following the courses open to 
them, have made remarkable records. Neverthe- 
less, it is wiser to have some specific end in view — 
some office, not too far beyond your present ca- 
pacity, which appeals to your ambitions and re- 
sults in experience enabling you to seize advance- 
ment when it comes. 

Tackling Detail Duties 

No matter what branch of activities one enters, 
there will be at the start considerable hard work 
to be done. The seemingly insignificant duties 
must be handled and performed satisfactorily, if 
you are to have a chance later at the worth-while 
positions. Many times these preliminary tasks 
are objectionable, so that you feel dissatisfied with 
the work in hand. Nevertheless, keep your eyes 
on the goal ahead. If it is worth the effort, stick 
out the grind of the competition and fight unceasr 
ingly to win. 

The case of a friend who detested above all 
else "ad. -chasing'' for a competition in which he 
was entered is to the point. Time and again this 
man would visit the business section of the city, 
with the intention of obtaining ads., and, because 



Ii6 TACKLING TECH. 

of his loathing for the task, would return with- 
out having made a single call. Finally, he 
schooled himself to do the work, and as the com- 
petition neared its end he began to make more 
rapid progress. During the final week he col- 
lected more advertisements than the fourth high- 
est man had obtained throughout the whole time. 
In the end he actually broke all records for the 
number of ads. collected, and after serving a year 
as treasurer of the publication he was finally 
elected to the position of editor-in-chief. 

Studying the Other Fellow 

From first to last many of the most important 
lessons you can learn will come from studying 
your fellows. This habit is valuable in any 
branch of your work or play, but especially in 
activities. Here you are given countless oppor- 
tunities to study human nature, and by all means 
you will want to make the most of them. Sooner 
or later you will be given positions of authority 
which involve the control and direction of men. 
It will be imperative that you handle these men 
ably, and this requires first that you understand 
them. Moreover, within a short time it is inevi- 
table that your opinion should carry weight in 
selecting men to fill your own or other positions. 

Proficiency in judging and selecting men is of 



PLAYING THE ACTIVITIES GAME 117 

great importance, as was especially necessary in 
the case of one position in activities which I have 
in mind. Here one man was responsible for the 
selection of half a dozen committees and chair- 
men of committees, besides having to appoint 
numerous other men to special positions. The 
larger the circle of friends with which you sur- 
round yourself and the clearer your perception of 
ther characterstics, the more you will gain from 
activities and the more valuable service you will 
render. 

Getting the Habit of Success 

There is a trite old saying which is even truer 
here than in most other branches of college work, 
that ''nothing succeeds like success." The atti- 
tude to assume in attacking your problems is to 
determine tO' make good in your every undertak- 
ing. You will thus continually gain ability to 
handle successfully larger and larger responsi- 
bilities. 

One of the most successful men I have known 
in college activities was exceptionally quiet and 
unassuming in his manner, but had the remark- 
able gift of getting things done with extraordi- 
nary ease. This man was most particular not to 
call any job complete until its every detail had 
been worked out. He played the game of activi- 



Il8 TACKLING TECH. 

ties skilfully and fairly, and with the strictest ob- 
servance of the rules. As a result he was able to 
hold a commanding position among his fellows. 



CHAPTER XI 

HOW MUCH TIME TO DEVOTE TO 
ACTIVITIES 

Giving Activities Their Proper Place 

There are at least two arguments favorable to 
activities which make them well worth while. 
Every student whose nature responds to their 
competitive and social appeal will derive sufficient 
pleasure and recreation from activities to repay 
him for the time and energy he expends on them. 
In addition there is the valuable training received, 
and the development of interests outside the 
sphere of study. These alone, as has been pointed 
out in the preceding chapters, make some partici- 
pation in activities of almost immeasurable worth, 
especially to the technical student. 

Nevertheless, while it is important that activi- 
ties be given their proper place, studies should 
come first. If in your own case, for example, you 
are attending a technical school, your primary 
motive is not to gain experience in activities, no 
matter how valuable you may consider this ex- 
perience to be. The first reason for commg to 
such a school is to gain a thorough knowledge 
regarding the principles and practice of Mechani- 

119 



I20 TACKLING TECH. 

cal Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or some 
similar profession. This cannot be done if the 
time spent on activities is allowed to interfere too 
seriously with studies. 

Every man who goes out for activities assures 
himself that he knows the secret of keeping them 
in their place. Nevertheless, there are few men 
that are not open to criticism on this score. The 
excellent '^point systems" which have been 
adopted in so many schools cannot be too closely 
observed nor too strictly enforced. Besides this 
check, each man must study his own case care- 
fully. To maintain a proper balance between 
studies and activities is a problem which is worthy 
of your most careful consideration throughout 
your course. 

Going Out the First Year 

Many men, upon entering a technical school 
where the courses are likely to be rigorous, hesi- 
tate to go out for activities during their first year. 
There are, of course, the difficulties of getting 
settled and becoming accustomed to the new en- 
vironment, as well as the uncertainty as to the 
amount of time required by studies. These fac- 
tors naturally cause a freshman to hesitate before 
plunging into activities at the start. While in 
some cases good reasons may exist for adopting 



HOW MUCH TIME TO ACTIVITIES 121 

the policy of waiting, there are several arguments 
which favor trying out for activities in the first 
year, and these should not be overlooked. 

While for the most part a student can take up 
any activity at the beginning of his second year 
and have a chance to make good during the three 
years that follow, there are a few activities which 
require consistent work during all four years. 
Such, for example, is the ''Tech. Show" at the 
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. When 
this is the case it is imperative from the point of 
view of activities that a student should begin 
work in them in his first year. Nearly every 
activity offers the best opportunities to the man 
who enters the game early in his course, for in 
this way an additional amount of experience is 
gained. 

On the whole, any man who has been active in 
school affairs outside of his studies in prepara- 
tory schools can continue naturally to follow the 
same course without undue effort immediately 
upon coming to college ; while a student who has 
neglected activities previously finds himself more 
and more fearful of taking the initial steps as 
each year goes by. Hence in either case, from 
the point of view of activities alone, greater bene- 
fits can be derived by entering activities the first 
year. 



122 TACKLING TECH. 

Waiting Until the Second Year 

As stated previously, there are also arguments 
advanced for spending little or no time on activi- 
ties during the first year. Theoretically, keeping 
out of activities for the first term or two should 
enable a man to make a more advantageous start 
in his studies. Except in special cases, however, 
it is doubtful whether better results can be ob- 
tained in this way than through a moderate par- 
ticipation in activities. Statistics secured at the 
Massachusetts Institute of Technology indicate 
that the standing of all students taking part in 
activities is actually higher on the average than of 
those not taking part. It seems plausible to sup- 
pose that the recreational effect of activities tends 
generally to stimulate the interests and efforts of 
students in studies, as well as in other work. 

It is unquestionably true that by waiting until 
the second year before entering into activities a 
student is enabled to survey the field more care- 
fully, and later to select work which will best 
suit his particular inclinations and abilities. At 
the same time the best way to learn about activi- 
ties is actually to take some part in them. 

The Danger of Overloading 

You must decide for yourself when and to what 
extent you desire to take part in activities. In 



HOW MUCH TIME TO ACTIVITIES 123 

general, it is a wiser policy to begin moderately 
with activities during your freshman year, than 
to attempt to crowd too many outside interests 
into the remaining three years of your training. 
The work of activities is in many cases so fasci- 
nating that once a man enters fully into the spirit 
of the game he is likely to be swept completely 
off his feet. There are two situations in which 
you will repeatedly find yourself with respect to 
activities. Either you will be working hard to 
take some larger part in the game, or you will be 
struggling to avoid added responsibilities and 
to meet the obligations you have already under- 
taken. The latter condition is the more serious, 
since, unless you are successful in avoiding the 
severe burdens that may be thrust upon you, your 
studies are likely to be slighted. 

Temptations Met 

The dangers which you will incur from over- 
loading with both activities and studies occur in 
a number of ways. At times when you are carry- 
ing more than enough work in activities, an op- 
portunity will appear for you to take up some 
especially interesting and valuable work. Or, 
if you are in the earlier stages of the game, you 
will be asked to perform some special duty which 
will open unusual opportunities for you in the fu- 



124 



TACKLING TECH. 



ture. It is difficult to refuse such offers, when a 
refusal invariably means that the opportunity is 
lost forever. Nevertheless, at more opportune 
times other openings will appear. The man who 
shows himself worthy of advancement when he 
is ready to receive it must also be willing to 
refuse responsibility when he is unable to shoul- 
der it. 

Another danger is that of finding that unfore- 
seen requirements, either in studies or activities, 
prevent the completion of important tasks which 
must be performed before a given time. Such, 
for example, are the clean-up duties in activities 
which almost invariably come a week or two be- 
fore exams. Limit the time which you put on 
activities near examination times and at other 
critical periods even more carefully than you ordi^ 
narily would. If necessary, cut the activities for 
a time, and give your entire attention to studies. 

Here, as in later life, it is the man who can put 
aside play when it is time for work, and can for- 
get his work when it is time to play, who will 
succeed in the long run. 

Avoiding an Overload ^ 

There is a way of avoiding overloads, which 
if used more extensively would benefit the cause 



1 3ee Chapter II, 



HOW MUCH TIME TO ACTIVITIES 125 

of activities as a whole. This is to turn over to 
other men not in activities some of the authority 
and responsibiHty which you are able to acquire. 
This will result not only in reducing your load 
and in giving you the experience of getting others 
to work, but will also increase the number of men 
who take part in activities. 

One way to avoid putting too much time on 
activities is to measure the time spent. Usually 
there are between fifteen and twenty hours a week 
available for work other than studies. From one- 
third to one-half of this can wisely be spent on 
activities. The overburdened schedule of activi- 
ties defeats its own purpose. The man who is so 
busy with detail duties that he cannot take time 
to think or to» exchange ideas with his fellows, 
neither gives nor obtains the maximum benefits. 
Maintain control of your machine, no matter how 
interesting or exciting the race may be. Often 
it is necessary to apply the brakes, and sometimes 
even to stop. It is the man who drives steadily 
and hard, in activities as well as in studies, who 
is bound to come in strong at the finish. 



CHAPTER XII 

A TECHNICAL EDUCATION AS A 
BUSINESS INVESTMENT^ 

Difficulties and Advantages of the Comparison 

It is difficult for some to think of a college or 
a technical education as a business investment. 
The sacrifices which must be made are usually 
measured merely in terms of money spent. This 
is because several years must pass after the first 
investments are made before financial returns are 
realized. Many of the returns are intangible 
and uncertain in quantity, so that they can be 
neither measured nor predicted with accuracy. 
For these reasons it is not easy to regard a tech- 
nical education as an investment, and to look for- 
ward definitely to the tangible returns it will 
yield. 

Technical Education versus Four Years' "Ex- 
perience" 

If one is to consider an education as an invest- 
ment, other factors must be taken into account 
besides money expense. 



1 It should be noted that it is not the purpose in this or in other 
chapters of this book to contrast the technical course of training with 
that of a liberal arts education. While the figures used are neces- 
sarily based upon graduates from a technical institution, much of 
the information here given is equally applicable to men in all universi- 
ties and colleges. 

126 



EDUCATION AN INVESTMENT 127 

The amount of time and energy which a stu- 
dent invests, and the amount of experience which 
he sacrifices, must also be considered. To show 
this it is necessary to compare the case of the 
man who attends an engineering school for four 
years with that of the man who begins his busi- 
ness career immediately after leaving high school. 
When this is done the investment of the former 
is seen to be even larger than might at first be 
supposed. 

Necessary Assumptions 

In order to make the comparison possible it is 
first necessary to make certain assumptions in re- 
gard to income and expense. While the figures 
used here are arbitrary, they have been carefully 
considered and checked from several angles, and 
in all probability approximate closely the figures 
for the average individual. The assumptions 
made are as follows : 

1. The earning power of an average high school 
or preparatory school graduate upon leaving school is 
placed at approximately $800 annually ($15 a week). 
During the next four years it will be assumed that he 
can earn altogether $3,800 (an average of $18.25 a 
week). 

2. The living expenses of the high school graduate 
over the period of four years will be placed at approxi- 
mately $3,200 (an average of $15.40 a week). 



128 TACKLING TECH. 

3. The expense of a school year at a technical in- 
stitution will be considered as approximately $1,200.^ 

4. A technical student's net savings for summer 
work during his four additional school years may be 
placed at $400. 

Tables of Comparison 

On the basis of the preceding assumptions, the 
following tables may be drawn up and then 
compared : 

Salaried Position for High School Graduate 
Earning power at nineteen, $800 

Income Expense 

1st year salary and expense $ 800 $ 800 

2nd " " " *' 900 800 

3rd " " " " 1,000 800 

4th " " " " ,.. 1,100 800 

Total income and total expense... $3,800 $3,200 

Difference between income and expense, $600 

3 At the Massachusetts Institute of Technology the minimum for 
men under ordinary circumstances (not living at home, etc.) is be- 
tween $900 and $1,000 (1922-23). The amount for living expense 
ranges all the way from these figures to $1,500 or more. An analysis 
of these figures can be made as follows: 

Tuition $150- $300 

Clothing, laundry, etc. . 125- 200 

Room rent 100- 175 

Meals 250- 350 

Recreation, Week-ends, etc 75- 150 

Books, Fees, etc 100- 125 

Travel and miscellaneous 100- 200 

Total $900-$l,500 

The amount of tuition will of course vary for different schools. 
See table in Chapter I, pages 12 and IS. 



EDUCATION AN INVESTMENT 



129 



Technical Education 

Income 

ist year total expense 

2nd " " " 

3rci " " " 

4th " " " 

Interest expense at 6%* 

Net savings from summer work $400 



Expense 

$1,200 

1,200 

1,200 

1,200 

720 



Total income and total expense . . $400 $5,520 

Difference between income and expense, $5,120 
Difference in cost between work for a salary and obtaining 
a technical education, $5,720 ($5,120 + $600). 



* Calculated as follows: 

$1,200 X 4 X 6% = $288 

1,200 X 3 X 6 =216 

1,200 X 2 X 6 =144 

1,200 X 1 X 6 = 72 

$720 

Computing the Difference in Cost 

In this way it is a simple matter to determine 
the difference in cost between a technical educa- 
tion and four years of work at a salary. From 
the above figures it is evident that the man who 
chooses to obtain four years' experience rather 
than a technical course increases his assets by 
$600. The man who spends the four years gain- 
ing a technical education decreases his assets by 
$5,120. The total difference is therefore $5,720, 
which is in this case the amount of additional cost 
to the man who chooses an engineering educa- 
tion. 



I30 



TACKLING TECH. 



Calculating the Money Value of a Technical 
Education 

In addition to finding the cost of a technical 
education, it is interesting to compute what such 
a training may be worth to an average student. 
It will be seen from the table opposite that the 
present value of the income of the average techni- 
cal graduate is approximately $38,700. The signi- 
ficance of the term ^^present value" is as follows : 
If the sum of $1,390, for example, should be set 
aside for a student at the time of his graduation, 
and if the interest upon this were compounded 
annually at 6 per cent, the amount of money 
available from this fund after twenty-five years 
would be $6,000. This is the amount estimated 
to be his salary for that year. Hence the "present 
value" of a $6,000 income which should be re- 
ceived twenty-five years hence is $1,390. As 
shown by the table, the sum of all the present 
values for the twenty-five-year period gives the 
total present value of the income to be received. ^ 

In the same table the present value of the sal- 
ary of a high school graduate four years out of 
school is also shown. The difference between the 
mean values of the two series of income is 
$13,371. That is, during the four years that the 



2 The method and figures used in the table are conservative. In 
some cases the income received would be several times as great as 
shown. 



EDUCATION AN INVESTMENT 



131 



Present Value of Income Over a Period of 
Twenty-five Years. 



High School Graduate 








Technical Graduate* 


Range of 


Present 


Years Out 


Range of 


Present 


Income 


Valuest 


of School 


Income 


Valuest 








Age 








$I,200-$I,300 


$1,130-^1,220 


5 


22 


I 


$I,200-$I,S00 


$i,i30-$i,4io 


1,300- 1,400 


1,150- 1,240 


6 


23 


2 


1,500- 1,800 


1,300- 1,600 


1,400- 1,600 


1,170- 1,340 


7 


24 


3 


1,800- 2,100 


1,510- 1,760 


1,50a- 1,700 


1,190- 1,340 


8 


25 


4 


2,100- 2,400 


1,660- 1,900 


1,600- 1,800 


1,190- 1,340 


9 


26 


5 


2,200- 2,600 


1,640- 1,940 


1,700- 1,900 


1,190- 1,330 


10 


27 


6 


2,400 — 2,800 


1,690- 1,970 


1,800- 2.000 


1,190- 1,330 


II 


28 


7 


2,600- 3,000 


1,730- 1,990 


1,900- 2,100 


1,190- 1,310 


12 


29 


8 


2,800- 3,200 


1,750- 2,040 


2,000- 2,200 


1,180- 1,300 


13 


30 


9 


3,000- 3,400 


1,780- 2,130 


2,000- 2,300 


1,160- 1,300 


14 


31 


10 


3,200- 3,600 


1,790- 2,140 


2,000- 2,400 


1,050- 1,270 


15 


32 


II 


3,500- 4,000 


1,840- 2,110 


2,000- 2,500 


994- 1,260 


16 


33 


12 


3,500- 4,200 


1,740- 1,990 


u _ u 


939- 1,170 


17 


34 


13 


" _ " 


1,640- 1,880 


a _ a 


885- 1,110 


18 


35 


14 


« _ u 


1,550- 1,770 


u _ u 


834- 1,040 


19 


36 


IS 


« _ « 


1,460- 1,670 


2,000- 3,000 


788- 1,180 


20 


37 


16 


a _ « 


1,380- 1,580 


« _ a 


743- 1,110 


21 


38 


17 


« _ « 


1,300- 1,470 


« _ <( 


701- 1,050 


22 


39 


18 


« _ « 


1,230- 1,400 


« _ ti 


661- 994 


23 


40 


19 


<( _ u 


1,160- 1,320 


u _ « 


623- 936 


24 


41 


20 


3,500- 5,200 


1,090- 1,620 


« _ « 


588- 882 


25 


42 


21 


« _ « 


1,030- 1,530 


« _ « 


556- 831 


26 


43 


22 


« _ a 


972- 1,450 


« _ « 


S23- 786 


27 


44 


23 


a _ a 


915- 1,360 


« _ « 


494- 741 


28 


45 


24 


u _ « 


864- 1,290 


« _ u 


46s- 700 

$22,584-$28,2IO 


29 46 25 
$38,768 


3,500- 6,000 

Totals 


815- 1,390 


Totals 


$34,987-$42,S8o 








25,397 






Mean 


$25,397 




$13,371 


Mean 


$38,768 






Difference 







*Although figures for college graduates are not available, the above could 
probably apply with only slight changes. 

tThese values are calculated on 6% basis, compounded annually, accurate 
to three places. 



132 TACKLING TECH. 

technical student has spent in gaining his further 
training he has added over $13,000 to the value 
of the income he may expect to receive. This 
amount we shall now consider to be the actual 
additional value to the student of the investment 
he has made. 

What It Costs to Loaf 

An interesting computation can now be made 
of the cost and value of the available working 
hours of the day. In other words, we can now 
determine what it costs an average student to 
loaf! 

In Chapter II it was shown that any student 
will have difficulty in finding more than 65 hours 
of available time for work each week. Assuming 
that there are thirty weeks in the school year, we 
find that the actual cost of each available hour 
is something over 70 cents. ($5,720/65 X 30 X 4 

= $73-) 

The value of a working hour can also be com- 
puted, based upon the present value of the addi- 
tional income during the first twenty-five years 
after graduation. The figure for this is approxi- 
mately $1.70. ($13,371/65 X 30 X 4 == $171.) 

These figures should be kept in mind by stu- 
dents when considering the advisability of obtain- 
ing outside work while in college. The remu- 



EDUCATION AN INVESTMENT 133 

neration received for such work is frequently less 
than 50 cents an hour. There are, ot course, 
some cases where earning a little money in this 
way may be advisable or a matter of necessity. 
Nevertheless, it is well to remember that the 
spending of a large amount of time in this way is 
almost sure to be a poor business policy. As 
shown above, the cost of the time for an average 
student is one and a half times the probable 
earnings, while its value under the same condi- 
tions is more than double the cost. 

What It Costs to Cut Classes 

Incidentally the following points are worthy 
of note. If the entire burden of expense during 
the school year be charged to class hours it is 
found that the cost of one class hour is over $2.* 
The assumption that classes should be charged 
with the entire expense might be questioned, since 
much valuable training may be derived in other 
ways from the school connection. Nevertheless, 
the gaining of a technical training is the primary 
motive for attending a technical school, and it is 
for this that the student pays. And the value of a 
class hour, based upon the future income, is even 
greater ; it is approximately $4.75. ($13,371/700 



* This is based upon an average of 700 class hours, as at the Mas- 
sachusetts Institute of Technology. ($5,720/700 x.i = $2.04.) 



134 



TACKLING TECH. 



X 4 = $4.77.) With the cost and the value in dol- 
lars alone of each class hour so high, students 
would do well to consider carefully the advisa- 
bility of cutting classes. 

Does the Investment Pay? 

In summing up the calculations made for the 
cost and value in dollars of a typical technical 
education, interesting conclusions develop. The 
cost of the four years of additional training, 
compared with the four years spent by the high 
school graduate working, was seen to be $5,720. 
At the time of graduation for the technically 
trained man, the value of his income for the next 
twenty-five years had been increased by $13,300. 
A gain of approximately $7,500 in the present 
value of the income over and above all additional 
expense had been made, therefore, by taking the 
technical course. ($13,300 — $5,720 = $7,580.) 

It is not the purpose of this chapter to overem- 
phasize the money value of either a college or a 
technical education at the expense of the many 
other benefits which are to be derived from such 
courses of training. At a recent dinner of a class 
of technical graduates at their thirty-fifth reunion, 
nearly half of the fifty-six members of the class 
were present. It is at such times that the broader 
value to men of four years of intensive training 



EDUCATION AN INVESTMENT 135 

and of their association together is brought to 
Hght. It could not be said that it was the amount 
of the salaries received which brought the great- 
est feeling of satisfaction. As each man was 
called up to rise and give in his own words a brief 
history of his experiences since graduation, the 
deepest gratification came from the thought that 
each and every one had been of some signal ser- 
vice, not only to those who had given him his edu- 
cation, but also to his country. It is the promise 
of such accomplishment, coupled with the incen- 
tive of assured financial returns, which in the last 
analysis prove that either a technical or college 
education is a sound investment. 



CHAPTER XIII 

FINANCING AN EDUCATION 

Making the Two Ends Meet 

In every engineering school or college there 
are men who need to have no concern over finan- 
cial matters during the time they are in school 
and other men to whom the problem of financing 
an education is of primary importance. Those 
in the second group must give careful considera- 
tion to the various ways and means of making 
ends meet, for only by careful thought can they 
select the methods that meet their special needs. 

The problem of financing an education divides 
itself primarily into two parts : first, the question 
of obtaining money ; second, that of cutting down 
expenses. This chapter considers the problem 
of securing the necessary funds. 

Importance of Good Marks — Scholarships 

The man who undertakes to go through col- 
lege or a technical institution under difficult 
financial conditions often does not realize until 
too late the importance of maintaining a clear 
record in his studies. In this regard he will be 

136 



FINANCING AN EDUCATION 137 

wise to aim as high as possible, and to try def- 
initely for a scholarship. There is a closer rela- 
tion than is usually realized between maintaining 
good marks in studies and reducing the cost of 
an education to a minimum. 

In the first place, scholarships offer an excel- 
lent source of income, for aside from the extra 
studying necessary to obtain good marks no addi- 
tional time is consumed in trying for a scholar- 
ship. This is really an important consideration, 
since, as has been pointed out, a man's time in 
college is very valuable. Any extra time spent in 
studying is certainly not to be considered wasted. 

The amount provided by scholarships varies 
widely with different schools, and with the con- 
ditions surrounding each case. Scholarships are, 
however, usually large enough to make quite a 
reduction in the yearly expense. At the Massa- 
chusetts Institute of Technology, out of 331 men 
who applied for scholarships in 192 1 more than 
half received a grant,^ and the average amount of 
a scholarship was approximately $155. 

The Additional Cost of Making Up Failures 

For the man who finds it difficult to make ends 
meet, there is another reason why he should 

1 Both the marks and the needs of each applicant are carefully con- 
sidered in the granting of all scholarships at the Massachusetts In- 
stitute of Technology. 



138 TACKLING TECH. 

"play safe'' in regard to his studies. This is the 
fact that if he fails in his work he must either at- 
tend summer school or return for a fifth year. 
These are doubly expensive propositions, for in 
either case a man should be earning and saving- 
money instead of paying money out. The calcu- 
lation below shows, by comparing the expense of 
summer school for six weeks with working the 
same length of time, that the former may easily 
represent an added investment of $250. 

Summer School 
Expenses : 

Tuition (estimated) $ 65.00 

I^iving and miscellaneous. 135.00 

Total $200.00 

Income o 

Net expense. $200.00 

Summer Work 
Expenses : 

Living and miscellaneous $100.00 

Income : 

Earnings 150.00 

Net savings $ 50.00 

Difference in cost $250.00 

Borrowing Money for an Education 

There are many serious misconceptions among 
college students in regard to the question of bor- 



FINANCING AN EDUCATION 139 

rowing money for financing a higher education. 
These misconceptions often lead men to handi- 
cap themselves in obtaining what they should 
from a college or technical training. When 
Shakespeare put into the mouth of Polonius the 
admonition, ^'Neither a borrower nor a lender 
be/' he never intended that it should apply to the 
student who borrows for the sake of investment. 
True, care must be taken that through borrow- 
ing one does not *'dull the edge of husbandry." 
It is perhaps easier to go too far in borrowing, 
once the way is opened, than not to borrow at all. 
On the whole the problem of the student who 
must finance his own education is not to decide 
whether or not he should borrow, but to deter- 
mine where, when, and how much he can borrow, 
without too heavily discounting his future. 

Ways of Borrowing While in College 

The three most hopeful sources of income for 
men who wish to borrow money for a college edu- 
cation are: friends and relatives, school funds, 
and business men who may be interested to lend 
assistance in particular cases. Without any act- 
ual proof of ability to make good in a technical 
school or college it is often difficult for a pro- 
spective student to obtain a loan. Much may 
often be accomplished among his closer friends 



I40 



TACKLING TECH. 



and relatives, however, since they are the ones 
best informed as to his abiHty and character. A 
small loan at the beginning can generally be used 
as an opening wedge for obtaining further assist- 
ance when needed. The one-year program is one 
of the best bases upon which to approach a busi- 
ness man for a loan. It is considered more in 
detail at the end of the chapter. 

It is often quite possible for a student to ap- 
proach a business man who has the facilities for 
obtaining money and to persuade him to lend 
needed assistance. Usually such a man under- 
stands the risks involved and will want some 
reasonable assurance of the success of such a 
venture. This can often be obtained from a study 
of past records, or from a showing made in six 
months or a year's work outside of school. 

Reducing the Risk 

After a student has been successful in obtain- 
ing a loan for educational purposes, both he and 
the one from whom the loan is secured will do 
well to reduce all possible risks to a minimum. 
One way of accomplishing this is to take out a 
life insurance policy for the student, payable to 
the creditor, making the face of the policy at least 
equal to the amount of money borrowed. By 
deducting the amount of the premiums from the 



FINANCING AN EDUCATION 141 

loan when it is made, the premiums may be paid 
in advance. The best means of reducing the pos- 
sibility of failure by the student, as well as the 
risk of loss by the creditor, is to free the student 
from all handicaps, such as the necessity for 
earning money or for cutting down too closely 
on living expenses, during the first school year. 

Borrowing Too Little 

While visiting a university in New York State 
recently I came across an old high school ac- 
quaintance who was working his way through 
college. He was then just finishing his sopho- 
more year. During his freshman year, if the 
scholarship he had been granted were taken into 
account, he had actually earned enough money to 
pay all expenses and to go home with $25 in 
his pocket. His miscellaneous expenditures, he 
told me, averaged less than $1 a month! In his 
second year he was granted a larger scholarship 
and with this added assistance he was able to save 
the sum of $50 between December and April. 
The time he had spent on outside work each week 
was over twenty hours. His remuneration had 
amounted to $2 a week plus room and board, or 
approximately $12.^ 

2 This figure might be considefed rather high for some institutions. 
Between $9 and $11 can be earned on similar work at the Massachu- 
setts Institute of Technology. 



142 



TACKLING TECH. 



This fellow, who was of German descent, un- 
doubtedly carried industry and frugality to the 
extreme. The point I wish to make is that he did 
so under the firm conviction that his method was 
the very best possible. In fact, it was the only 
way, as he saw it, for him to gain a college edu- 
cation without putting himself under objection- 
able obligation to anyone. At the end of his first 
year he had been given several opportunities to 
borrow as much money as he might have needed. 
The usual feeling that such borrowing was un- 
desirable influenced him very strongly, however, 
and he refused to accept the offer. 

An Unwise Policy 

I felt at the time, and still feel, that the policy 
of my friend was not wise. He was satisfying 
the dictates of his conscience, it is true, but he 
was losing out every day on opportunities which 
could easily have been his and which would never 
come to him again. A loan of $300 annually 
after the first year would have placed him com- 
paratively on ^^easy street." It would have given 
him twelve or fifteen hours a week for things 
other than outside work. The advantage of fra- 
ternity life, of societies, of training in certain ac- 
tivities, and of the thousand and one other oppor- 
tunities of college life to obtain breadth and en- 



FINANCING AN EDUCATION 143 

joyment might all have been his. Like so many 
others under similar circumstances, he was too 
busy earning money to perceive what he was 
missing. 

Borrowing Too Much 

A contrasting case is that of a man who at- 
tended a preparatory school for two years and an 
expensive technical institution for four, all on 
borrowed funds. At the time of his graduation 
from the technical school the entire amount of 
his indebtedness was more than $5,500. Need- 
less to say this man, handicapped with such a 
debt, soon found himself facing a serious situa- 
tion. The table shown in Figure 5, based upon 
the income of an average technical graduate and 
the estimated expenses of the man in question, 
shows that for the first few years still more 
money must be borrowed, in order to sustain the 
interest payments on this debt. According to 
the estimates, the full amount of the loan could 
not be paid off until fifteen years after gradua- 
tion. 

Students or parents borrowing funds for edu- 
cational purposes should be able to determine the 
number of years it will take after graduation to 
repay the amount of their indebtedness. By fol- 
lowing the directions given below similar calcu- 



144 



TACKLING TECH, 



lations can be made for any case. The value of 
such a table lies, not so much in the possibility 
of its being followed exactly, as in showing the 
borrower approximately where he stands. 





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Figure 5. Table Showing Time Taken to Repay Loan 



Directions for Computing Payment of Loan 

1. The probable earnings are first filled in for as 
many years as necessary. 

2. The probable living expenses are next inserted, 
as is also the amount of insurance payments for each 
year. 



FINANCING AN EDUCATION 145 

3. The amount of the present indebtedness is placed 
in the column headed ''Amount of Loan.'' 

4. The interest to be paid on the loan for one year 
is then calculated and placed in the column headed 
"Interest." 

5. The figures for the "Totals'' columns are filled 
in for the first year. The total income is the earnings 
plus any other receipts. The total expense is living 
expense plus the payments on insurance, interest, etc. 

6. The necessary increase or possible decrease of 
the loan for the following year is then calculated and 
this amount recorded in the column headed "Deposits 
and Withdrawals." 

7. Steps (i) and (2) are then repeated for the 
following year, and the new amount of the loan is 
filled in as noted under (3). The calculations may be 
continued in the same manner indefinitely until the 
year is reached, when all indebtedness is removed. 
The capitar necessary to carry the loan is shown as a 
bank balance. While this money, if actually on hand, 
should be reinvested to yield from 4 to 6 per cent in- 
terest, the accuracy of the other estimates does not 
warrant adding these interest payments to the income. 

Earning Money in College 

There is one advantage of earning money in 
college which cannot v^ell be overlooked. This 
is the fact that men who earn all or part of their 
living and collegiate expenses are continually im- 
pressed with the cost of their education to them, 
in terms of their own services. This almost in- 



146 TACKLING TECH. 

evitably has the effect of making a man anxious 
to get the most out of what he receives. 

It might be safe to say that every man would 
appreciate more the value of an education if he 
were made to earn each year a part of the money 
required to pay his expenses. It is equally safe 
to add that under ordinary circumstances a man 
makes a mistake in trying to earn any very large 
percentage of this money during the school year. 
A man in college or technical school who cannot 
make his time while there more valuable than 50 
cents or $1 an hour, ought to find his occupation 
elsewhere. 

There are rare cases where a man will be so 
well repaid either in money or experience gained 
that he will actually be well repaid for giving 
up a considerable amount of his time to outside 
work. I have in mind the case of a man in a 
small eastern college who managed the school 
bookstore for three years. In addition to the 
salary and commissions, which together 
amounted to about $600 during the year, this 
position gave an excellent opportunity for expe- 
rience in selling and in many other phases of 
business. A comparatively small amount of time 
was spent, and the wages received averaged over 
$2 an hour. 

Men who can develop special talent, such as 



FINANCING AN EDUCATION 147 

musical ability, fall into the same category. Tu- 
toring also offers special opportunities, since it 
can be made to yield returns in valuable expe- 
rience and training as well as in substantial re- 
muneration. Such occupations, when they yield 
especially attractive compensation, may actually 
be worth while. 

In most institutions, however, there are few- 
such opportunities, and the most that can be 
squeezed from outside work is between 35 and 
60 cents an hour. It is difficult on this basis 
to make earnings amount to more than $9 to $11 
a week. In general, there are too many other 
things in which time can and should be well in- 
vested — such as friends, activities, and studies — 
to make the ''odd job'' pay. 

Summary — A One-Year Program 

In summing up the methods of making the two 
ends meet, we find first that a student pressed for 
funds should watch with special care his stand- 
ing in his studies. By doing this he will be better 
able not only to win a possible scholarship, but 
also to complete his course in the allotted time. 
The second best means of obtaining money is to 
borrow, but this should be done only up to a 
conservative amount. Great care should be taken 
to maintain personal credit by prompt payments 



148 TACKLING TECH. 

of interest and principal. And finally, earning 
money during the school year, while it has cer- 
tain advantageous effects, may be considered on 
the whole to be a doubtful policy, especially when 
carried to the extreme. 

No matter how carefully students and parents 
may analyze the facts and conditions, there will 
always be those who are uncertain as to whether 
the resources available are adequate. The require- 
ments of a technical school, especially, cannot be 
considered easy to meet. When doubt exists the 
trial and error method is one of the best to apply. 

A student who can put himself through his 
first year, unhampered by financial difficulties, 
on his own resources and those of his parents, 
should do so. Every effort should be made to 
free him from the necessity of working or of se- 
curing additional funds during the year. When 
this is done the chances for both immediate and 
final success are greatly improved. After one 
year, or better still two years, have been com- 
pleted successfully, it is far easier to approach an 
outsider for assistance in order to complete the 
course. Even though apparent failure should re- 
sult, maximum benefits will be derived from 
what will, in the long run, prove to be a minimum 
expenditure of time and money. 



CHAPTER XIV 

PERSONAL FINANCES AND EXPENSE 
ACCOUNTS^ 

The sooner you adjust your spending to what your 
earning capacity will he, the easier they will find it to 
live together, — "Letters from a Self-Made Merchant 
TO His Son/' 

Why Keep an Expense Account? 

It very often happens that a student v^ill go to 
considerable trouble to keep an expense account 
without apparently any definite reasons for doing 
so — unless it is by order of his parents! Not 
long ago I v^as talking w^ith a man w^ho had just 
completed his freshman year in a technical school. 
He had kept a careful expense account throughout 
the year, yet he admitted he did not know why 
he had done so. There are some very good rea- 
sons for keeping an account of your expenses, 
and they are well worth keeping in mind. 

Budgeting Your Expenses 

A very good reason why you should keep an 
expense account is to help you to plan or ''budget'' 
your finances. Many students whose money 

1 In compiling this chapter the author is indebted to Messrs. E. G. 
Plowman, J. B. Baker, and Professor M. J. Shugrue of the Eco- 
nomics Department of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and 
to Mr. H. B. Mclntyre, Class of 1922, and Professor E. E. Bugbee, 
Department of Mining. 

149 



ISO 



TACKLING TECH. 



comes from home run short of cash several times 
during a term. This is because they do not look 
ahead in the matter of finances. It is just as im- 
portant to plan your finances as to plan your 
time, your energy, or your work. 

In business, financial planning is done by 
means of a budget. A good personal expense 
account serves as an individual budget. It will 
help you to adopt businesslike methods in han- 
dling your finances and by its aid you can plan 
your income, your expenditures, and your savings 
in advance. 

Satisfaction from Businesslike Methods 

A second benefit which comes from handling 
your personal finances in a businesslike manner 
is the personal satisfaction to be derived. This 
feeling of satisfaction will appeal more strongly 
to some than to others, but it is something which 
may well be cultivated. The greater advance you 
make in handling your financial affairs in an effi- 
cient, businesslike manner, the greater the enjoy- 
ment you will derive. 

Practical Value of Knowing How to Keep 
Accounts 

It is quite possible to learn much regarding 
accounting methods from your bookkeeping sys- 



PERSONAL ACCOUNTS 151 

tern. A professor at the Massachusetts Institute 
of Technology, who had formerly been employed 
as manager of a small mine, told me of his first 
experience as assistant to the treasurer of the 
company. For several years he had kept a sim- 
ple set of books for his personal accounts. Shortly 
after he began work with the company the treas- 
urer died. In the emergency the new assistant 
was called to take over the company's books and 
bring them up to date. His training as a mining 
engineer gave him little help. It was only 
through the knowledge gained with his own per- 
sonal accounts, and by relying upon the assump- 
tion that all necessary transactions must have 
been recorded on the books at least once before, 
that he was able to carry the work along. Later 
he became the acting treasurer, and before leav- 
ing the company's employ, general manager. 

No matter what sort of specialist you may plan 
to be, you will also need to know something about 
the handling of money. There is scarcely an 
easier or more profitable way of learning this 
than to keep an accurate account of your own 
personal finances. 

Employer's Point of View 

Some employers, moreover, place great em- 
phasis upon the keeping of personal accounts. 



152 



TACKLING TECH. 



If you are ever quizzed in regard to this when 
applying for a position you will discover that 
there is a vast difference between the good and 
the bad impression which one can make on this 
point. The reason why employers regard ac- 
curacy in keeping personal finances as important 
is obvious. If a position is one in which a man 
will be called upon to keep in order certain affairs 
of the company, the employer knows that he is 
better suited to do this if he has learned how to 
take care of his own affairs. The man who 
handles his personal finances in a slip-shod man- 
ner is likely to handle the company's business in 
the same way. It pays to be careful about ''little 
things." 

Learning to Save in College 

A final reason for keeping an expense account 
is to learn to be thrifty and to save money. Few 
realize the full significance of acquiring these 
habits early, but the truth is that if these habits 
are not acquired early in life they are not likely 
to be acquired at all. By the time a man has 
completed his college course he should have 
learned the knack of saving a portion of his in- 
come. 

The amount which you save is not so impor- 
tant. The question is whether or not you are 



PERSONAL ACCOUNTS 153 

putting aside any money out of that which you 
receive. If, by careful planning and wise spend- 
ing, you can save 10 cents each day you will have 
$25.50 at the end of the school year (35 weeks) 
or more than enough ordinarily to pay your doc- 
tor's and dentist's bills, or to buy shoes and a 
couple of hats. Twenty cents a day is not a 
great amount to save, yet if you will set this 
aside each day during your eight years of high 
school and college, and allow the interest to be 
compounded at 4 per cent semiannually, you will 
find a fund amounting' to over $700 available at 
the time you graduate. 

There is no time like the present to begin put- 
ting aside a few cents each day. The right kind 
of expense account is often the best possible aid 
in doing this. 

Choosing an Accounting Method to Meet Your 
Needs 

Whether you are in high school, preparatory 
school, or college, an accounting method can be 
devised which will fit your particular needs. In 
some cases the best system may be extremely sim- 
ple. In fact, it should never be more complex 
than absolutely necessary. It is often the case, 
however, that the more advanced methods of 
keeping accounts appear complicated at first sight, 



154 TACKLING TECH. 

while in reality they can be maintained more 
easily and with less expenditure of time than the 
cruder methods. 

Eventually you will want to develop for your 
personal finances a suitable accounting system. 
This will include a method of financial control 
over daily expenditures, together with a series 
of accounts to handle savings, borrowed money, 
etc. To develop such a system requires consid- 
erable experience. It is essential that you begin 
with the simpler methods described. 

For the man who is just beginning to struggle 
with the problems of personal finance, the simple 
journal entry method or the columnar expense ac- 
count is the only one that should be attempted 
at the start. Read over all the descriptions of ac- 
counting methods in this chapter before deciding 
to adopt any particular plan. 

The Simplest Cash Account — The Record Journal 

The simplest way of recording expenditures is 
by means of a simple journal. This consists of a 
suitable form, either in a notebook or book or a 
pocket fold, which provides for filling in the date, 
a description of each transaction, and the amounts 
of cash received or expended. A sample of a 
simple journal record is shown in Figure 6. 



PERSONAL ACCOUNTS 



155 



/yTjgyztJu of ^[a^;riccccyuf / ^2, ' 




Figure 6. Simple Journal Cash Record 



156 TACKLING TECH. 

The advantages of such an account are: 

1. It is simple and easily understood. 

2. It gives full details regarding all expenditures 
made. 

3. It may be balanced as frequently or as infre- 
quently as desired. 

The disadvantages of such an account are: 

1. It does not furnish any information in regard 
to the proportion of money spent in various ways, as, 
for example, the relative amounts spent on clothing, 
rent, food, etc, 

2. It gives no knowledge concerning the financial 
status except that it shows the amount of cash on 
hand. Bank accounts or other assets or liabilities are 
not shown. 

3. Entries must be made when the cash is actually 
received or expended in order to insure accurate rec- 
ords. This is often inconvenient and impracticable. 

4. If the account is infrequently balanced the lia- 
bility of error is great. 

Analyzing Your Expenditures 

After a simple journal record has been care- 
fully kept for a time, the desirability of making an 
analysis of expenditures usually becomes appar- 
ent. Certain items, such as those for school sup- 
plies, room rent, transportation, etc., appear to 
fall readily into separate groups, and to warrant 
segregation from other classes of expenditures. 
It is not well to carry the classification too far at 



PERSONAL ACCOUNTS 157 

first. A simple analysis should be made at the 
start, which later can be subdivided if necessary. 
Such a classification of expenditures, applicable 
to practically any student, might be as follows : 

Educational Expense 

Living Expense 

Recreational and Miscellaneous Expenses 

The Columnar Expense Account 

The simplest way to obtain an analysis of your 
personal expenditures is probably by means of 
the columnar expense account. It is not neces- 
sary to describe here this plan in detail, since any 
number of small columnar account books on the 
market outline it very clearly. In general the col- 
umns in such a book, taken from left to right 
across the page, give space for the date, cash re- 
ceipts, remarks, the amount of cash disbursed 
under each subdivision of expense, and the total 
expenditures for the day. At the bottom of each 
page space should be provided for totaling the 
various columns, and for checking the account 
at the end of the month. 

One of the primary purposes of a columnar 
expense account is to furnish a record of the way 
in which money has been spent. In case it is de- 
sired to send such information home, for example, 
the complete account book, or the loose leaf of a 



158 TACKLING TECH. 

notebook on which the record has been kept, can 
be sent through the mail very readily. If the rec- 
ord is not of the loose-leaf type, it is simply nec- 
essary to purchase a similar book to use for the 
following month, while the first set of records is 
being inspected and returned. 

Briefly, the advantages of the columnar ac- 
count are: 

1. It can be operated by practically any student 
without the aid of special knowledge or equipment. 

2. It gives a fairly complete record of how money 
is spent, with an analysis of expenditures as detailed 
as desired. 

The disadvantages of columnar accounts are: 

1. It gives no great incentive for saving and does 
not provide reserves. 

2. It is not sufficient for handling all the problems 
vvhich arise in connection with personal finances, as, 
for example, for giving information in regard to sav- 
ings and money borrowed. 

3. In order to obtain information regarding pro- 
portional expenditures, monthly computations must be 
made. 

4. It must be kept without fail from day to day. 

Standardizing Expenditure and Income 

After having been away at school or college 
a year or two, you will probably find that your 
expenditures are made with fair regularity. 



PERSONAL ACCOUNTS 159 

That is, over the period of a year they pass 
through approximately the same changes, and 
for corresponding months they are very similar. 
You will have learned also that over a consid- 
erable period of time, such as six months, a cer- 
tain per cent of your income is spent on each of 
a regular set of items. By the time expenditures 
have become standardized to this extent you will 
probably also be receiving a regular income. 

Your next step is then to learn how to set 
aside reserves for the regular expenditures and 
for many of the irregular ones which occur, and 
thus to place your finances on a more businesslike 
basis. This problem which you face is almost 
identical to the one you will encounter in after 
life. The sooner you prepare to meet such re- 
quirements the better. 

A Financial Control Sheet*^ 

One of the best, simplest, and most effective 
methods of accomplishing the desired results is 
by means of a financial control sheet. This 
method, after one has become familiar with its 
principles, is actually easier to operate than is 
the columnar account. Though not so accurate 



2 A detailed description of a Financial Control Sheet has been copy- 
righted by Professor Erwin H. Schell of the Massachusetts Institute 
of Technplpgy. Parts of this are used here by permission. 



l6o TACKLING TECH. 

in detail as the latter, its results are on the whole 
more satisfactory. 

When properly laid out and operated, the 
financial control sheet achieves the following 
aims: 

1. It gives you, in a simple, practical manner, facts 
concerning your financial condition at the end of each 
day. 

2. It provides you v^ith reserve funds for meeting 
oncoming obligations. 

3. It gives you opportunity to set standards of 
daily savings and expenditures and provide informa- 
tion concerning your success or failure in maintaining 
these standards. 

4. It develops an incentive to spend wisely and 
with foresight. 

Developing a Financial Control Sheet 

The first step in making out a financial con- 
trol sheet is to purchase a pad, or better still a 
suitable book, of columnar-ruled paper, having 
from eleven to sixteen columns to the sheet, with 
a space at the left-hand edge for titles. Such pa- 
per is extensively used by accountants and may 
be obtained at most stationery stores. 

After you have furnished yourself with the 
necessary materials (a slide rule at hand may 
prove useful) you are ready to lay out your con- 
trol sheet. Do this first in pencil, as many 



PERSONAL ACCOUNTS i6l 

changes will likely be necessary during the first 
month or two. Enter in the left-hand space titles 
which describe the subdivisions of income and 
expenditures. At first make these similar to the 
items shown in Figure 7. After running the 
sheet for a week or so you will know better what 
changes to make. 

Number the columns on the sheet to corre- 
spond to the days of the month. Then spread all 
items, such as ''Accruing Allowance/' ''Room 
Rent," "Savings," "Reserves," etc., across the 
sheet, as shown in the sample. Read over very 
carefully the detailed description of the sample 
financial control sheet shown (see page 164) be- 
fore attempting a plan of your own, in order that 
you may understand fully the principles and 
methods involved. 

Description of a Sample Control Sheet 

The financial control sheet is divided into two 
distinct parts. The upper section of the sheet, 
headed "Incoming," lists those items of income 
which are accruing to the credit of the individual. 
The lower section, headed "Outgoing," lists the 
items such as "Board and Room," which are ac- 
cruing against the individual, and which sooner 
or later must be paid. In the lower section also 
are being set aside certain reserves, such as 



l62 TACKLING TECH. 

"Week-ends and Entertainment/' which will be 
reduced as money is expended for items coming 
under this head. 

An important point to notice on the sample 
sheet is that the amount of $4 just to the right 
of ''Accruing Allowance," which represents the 
allowance accruing daily as income, is equal to 
the sum of the daily outgoing amounts. ($4 == 
$2 + .30 + .30 + .10 + .80 + .20 + .30.) A 
similar equation should be worked out as a basis 
for any control sheet. The use of round numbers, 
as in the above sample, obviates the use of a slide 
rule, but may require slight adjustments at the 
end of the month. It is advisable to spread as 
many of the allowances and reserves as possible 
across the page at the beginning of each period, 
in order to reduce the chance of error. 

A detailed description of the transactions re- 
corded on the sample sheet is as follows : 

Thursday, April i, Incoming, The allowance for 
April has evidently not been received. The amount 
of $120 is due, and appears opposite "Accruing Allow- 
ance" (together with the $4 accrued for the first day). 
The figures opposite ''Cash on Hand," ''Check Ac- 
count," and "Due from others," are self-explanatory. 

Outgoing, The room rent is not yet paid ($60) ; 
there has been a reserve built up for laundry and cloth- 
ing amounting to $5.30; for week-ends, etc., $3.20; foff 
church,^ etc., $2.40; and for a typewriter, $29.80. There 



PERSONAL ACCOUNTS 163 

is only a 20-cent reserve for miscellaneous items. The 
savings to date have amounted to $12. One dollar is 
due to others. 

Friday J April 2, Incoming and Outgoing, The allow- 
ance has evidently been received and deposited in the 
checking account at the bank. This v^ould bring the 
bank balance up to $232.40, had not a check been drawn 
for $10, which increases the cash on hand. Part of 
the $10, however, was expended for laundry ($5.30 + 
.30 — $1.40 — $4.20). Ninety cents was also spent on 
miscellaneous items (lunch, candy, etc.). No expendi- 
ture was made which was not provided for in the re- 
serves, so that the balance for the second day is the 
same as for the first, $133.03. 

Saturday, April j. Incoming and Outgoing, A check 
was evidently drawn for $60 to pay the board and room 
bill for the month. The week-end expenditures for this 
particular Saturday amounted to $4.80, so that the 
reserve for this item was reduced to minus $1, shown 
by drawing a circle around the figure ($3.50 + .30 — 
$4.80 = — $1). There was an understanding be- 
tween the student and his parents that as soon as $30 
had been reserved for a typewriter the remaining $20 
would be forwarded. The check arrived as promised, 
and is shown as the last item of income, while the re- 
serve for the typewriter is increased immediately to 
$50. It should also be noticed that the 20 cents which 
previously was being set aside each day for the type- 
writer reserve has now been distributed between 
''Laundry and Clothing" and "Miscellaneous." 

Saturday, April 4, Incoming and Outgoing, A check 
for $30 was placed with the special check for $20 and 



164 



TACKLING TECH. 



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Figure 7. Financial Control Sheet 



PERSONAL ACCOUNTS 165 

a typewriter was ordered. The $6 due from others was 
received, and the $1 owed was paid. One dollar was 
given to church and 80 cents was spent on miscel- 
laneous items. This completed the transactions for 
the day. The final balance is seen to have remained 
the same throughout. 

Once the control sheet is established and the 
standard for expenditures is set, the important 
figures to v^atch are the Balance and the Re- 
serves. If these are approximately the same at 
the end of the month as at the beginning it is evi- 
dent that the income is equal to the expenditures 
and that the proper apportionment of expenses 
has been made. If any reserve grows too large 
during the month the daily allotment to that item 
should be reduced, and the amount thus made 
available should be then allotted to some decreas- 
ing reserve item, or to a "Savings Reserve." 

At the first of each month, when a new sheet 
is begun, a reasonable amount should be set down 
for each reserve. If the balance when struck is 
then too large, some of the money together with 
any "Savings Reserve" may be withdrawn from 
the checking account and deposited elsewhere as 
savings. If the balance tends to become smaller 
each month, more funds must be supplied in order 
to make up the deficit. 



i66 TACKLING TECH. 

Advantages and Disadvantages 

Summarizing the advantages and disadvan- 
tages of the financial plan outlined above, they 
are seen to be as follows : 

Advantages : 

1. It gives an excellent idea of the proportions in 
which money is spent for various items v^ithout the 
need of mont}?ly recapitulations. In the example 
shov^n, for instance, it is evident at a glance that ap- 
proximately yYz per cent of the total income (.30 -^ 
$4) is being spent for laundry and clothing, and the 
same proportion is also being set aside for v^eek-ends 
and entertainments and for savings. 

2. It furnishes a strong incentive to make expendi- 
tures wisely and with forethought, and to save a cer- 
tain per cent of the income. 

3. There is not the absolute necessity of making 
entries on the sheet each day without fail. Failure to 
calculate the reserves and balance for one or more days 
omits the information which these figures would give, 
but does not cause undue confusion in calculations 
which follow. Not more than five or ten minutes is 
required each night for making all necessary entries 
and calculations. 

Disadvantages : 

1. In order to use the financial control sheet to best 
advantage one should be able to anticipate a certain 
regularity of income and expense. 

2. It requires some time to become familiar with 
this method. A certain amount of time (approxi- 



PERSONAL ACCOUNTS 167 

mately Yz hour) is also required at the beginning of 
each month to reapportion the reserves and to spread 
the items over the sheet for the month following. 

3. Familiarity with the use of the slide rule, so 
that the latter may be used in calculating the daily 
accruing income and expenditures, is desirable, though 
not absolutely necessary. 

Double-Entry Accounting 

As already stated, it is well for any student 
to adopt sooner or later methods of business ac- 
counting in handling at least a part of his per- 
sonal financial problems. Nevertheless, it is un- 
wise to strike out blindly here, since many difficul- 
ties may be encountered which are confusing to 
a beginner. 

As a student in college or technical school you 
should determine to gain a knowledge of the 
principles of accounting as soon as possible. This 
you may do by taking either a regular course or 
a correspondence school course in accounting. 
The subject matter is such that many find it very 
difficult to learn accounting practice from the 
study of books alone. 

Do not attempt to install any features of double- 
entry accounting in your personal accounts until 
you have become familiar with the underlying 
principles involved. On the other hand, once you 
have gained a knowledge of accounting methods, 



1 68 TACKLING TECH. 

you will find no better way of clinching your 
knowledge than by applying it to your own per- 
sonal accounts. The use of some of the books 
listed in the bibliography at the end of this chap- 
ter, together with instructions or suggestions 
from men familiar with such practice in business, 
will prove of assistance in getting started on this 
work. 

Simple Double-Entry Accounts 

The operation of double-entry accounts can be 
shown very well in connection with the perma- 
nent maintenance of a financial control sheet or 
other personal accounting record. The most sat- 
isfactory means of combining the control method 
with a set of ledger accounts requires the use of 
two adjustment or intermediate accounts. These 
may be termed the ''Allotment Account" and the 
''Control Sheet Account." At first sight the cor- 
relation by this means may appear cumbersome. 
In reality, further simplification causes confusion, 
while the maintaining of two accounts adds noth- 
ing to the work of keeping the books. Examples 
of an Investment Account and the two other ac- 
counts mentioned are shown in Figures 8, 9, and 
10. The method of using these in conjunction 
with a financial control sheet, or other personal 
cash accounting system, is also described. 



PERSONAL ACCOUNTS 



169 



The entries in the above accounts are ex- 
plained as follows : 

On October i, $5 was allotted from the control sheet 
to the Invjestment Account. This is shown by the 
credit (right-hand) entry on the Allotment Account, 





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and the debit (left-hand) entry on the Control Sheet 
Account. 

On November i, the $5 allotted was paid from the 
control sheet into the investment fund. This is shown 
by the credit entry on Account No. 2 and the debit on 
No. 3. 



170 



TACKLING TECH. 



On November i also it was decided again to allot $5 
to be withdrawn from the spending money at the end 
of the month. This is shown as before by a credit 
entry on No. i and a debit on No. 2. 



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During the month of November, however, larger 
cash expenditures were evidently made than were 
anticipated. The final balance on the control sheet 
was therefore decreased, and instead of putting money 
into the Investment Account it was necessary to with- 



PERSONAL ACCOUNTS 



171 



draw $2. This is shown by the debit entry on No. 2 
and the credit entry on No. 3. 

Since savings were not made as rapidly as antici- 
pated it was further decided to allot only $3 to be 
turned over to the Investment Account for the month 




Figure 10. An Investment Account 



of November. This shows on the accounts as a credit 
to No. I and debit to No. 2. 

On January i, $3 was transferred from the control 
sheet to the investment fund (No. 2 credit, No. 3 
debit) and balances were struck. The following facts 
are immediately evident : 



172 TACKLING TECH. 

1. $13 has been allotted to be saved out of the per- 
sonal expenses fund during the three months noted. 
(See balance of Allotment Account.) 

2. Out of the $13 allotted the control sheet has still 
to pay over $7 to the investment fund. (Balance of 
No. 2.) Hence $6 has actually been ''saved" during 
the months of October, November, and December ($13 
-$7 = $6). 

3. The balance in the Investment Account has been 
increased from $500 on November i to $506 on Janu- 
ary I, which checks with the above statement that $6 
has actually been turned into the investment fund as 
savings. 

It should be noted that in case it is necessary to con- 
tinually reimburse the control sheet from the invest- 
ment fund allotments can be made (debit No. i, credit 
No. 2) which will anticipate such payments. This 
method of recording transactions is sufficiently elastic, 
therefore, to take care of practically any conditions 
which may arise. 

Outline of a Practical Double-Entry System 

It is clear that by the above method a perma- 
nent relationship can be established between a 
financial control sheet, or any other method of 
recording personal cash expenditures, and a se- 
ries of ledger accounts. Each month money may 
be allotted from a savings account to the control 
sheet, for example, or vice versa. If this allot- 
ment is not maintained the actual status vv^ill be 
shown clearly and simply by the monthly bal- 



PERSONAL ACCOUNTS 173 

ances. Hence with such an arrangement there 
will be a double force tending toward economical 
spending. Savings are not only pushed into 
the Investment Account by the operations of the 
control sheet, but are also drawn into the same 
account by the entries made under ^'Allotment." 
A little reflection will show that this method 
represents in simple form an elastic system of 
handling personal finances which is widely ap- 
plicable. The Investment Account may, in fact, 
be broken down into any number of asset and 
liability accounts. The advantages are gained 
by using double-entry accounting where it is 
necessary, and the disadvantages of recording 
small daily expenditures by this means are 
avoided. 

Bibliography 

Beach, F. L. Twenty Twenty-Minute Lessons in 

Bookkeeping. 
Cole, W. M. Fundamentals of Accounting. 
Hodge, A. C, and McKinsey, J. O. Principles of 

Accounting. 
Koopman, S. B., and Kester, R. B. Fundamentals of 

Accounting. 
Paton, W. A., and Stevenson, R. A. Principles of 

Accounting. 



CHAPTER XV 

SUMMER WORK, GETTING A JOB AND 
MAKING GOOD 

When a man does not know to what port he is steer- 
ing no wind is favorable to him. — Seneca 

A Definite Aim 

It is important that as a student in college or 
a technical school you should formulate for your- 
self as early as possible a definite purpose in life. 
The problem of knowing just what you want to 
do is a difficult one to solve. The earlier you 
are able to describe clearly some goal toward 
which you are striving, the better. 

The importance of making an early choice can 
be shown in a number of ways. At Dartmouth 
comparative records have recently been compiled 
of the students who had early chosen their life 
work and those who had not. The scholastic 
standing of the former appeared to be 5 or 6 per 
cent higher than that of those who were simply 
drifting. There was shown also a better correla- 
tion between studies, outside work, and other 
activities. This was especially true in the selec- 
tion of general studies. By setting a goal for 
yourself you have a double advantage. Not only 

174 



SUMMER WORK 175 

does it give you something definite toward which 
to strive, but also it helps you to select and shape 
your experiences in such a way that they will fit 
more perfectly into your scheme of life as a 
whole. Even if you do not stick to the exact pro- 
fession for which you train yourself, you will be 
much farther ahead at the end of ten years for 
having had a definite purpose in mind while in 
college. 

Summer Work and Choosing a Profession 

It is generally supposed that men taking tech- 
nical courses have definitely settled upon a pro- 
fessional career. In reality this is rarely true. 
Many technical students have a clearer concep- 
tion of their future work than do college men. 
Nevertheless, these aims are often very vague. 
It is shown by the records of graduates that men 
trained for special service in particular fields of 
engineering often find their vocation elsewhere.^ 

There is a close relationship between choosing 
a profession and experience gained through sum- 
mer work. During the past year a part of my 
work with seniors has been to attempt to connect 
their past experiences with their plans for the 
future. Some of these men had done little sum- 



1 It is doubtful if more than 15 per cent of all technical graduates 
remain in what might be considered to be strictly technical fields for 
longer than 7 or 8 years after graduation. 



176 TACKLING TECH. 

mer work during their four years' course. The 
majority had gained practical experience in one 
way or another during at least two summers, and 
showed excellent records. For example, one man 
had worked for six summers in six automobile 
plants. 

A most striking fact was correlation between 
the amount of summer work and definiteness in 
regard to future plans. Not one of the men who 
had done no summer work during his years of 
training had any clear conception of what he ex- 
pected to do after graduation. 

Specific Gains Through Summer Experience 

Experience in industry, besides intermixing 
practice with theory, gives a student a back- 
ground for a reliable study of his own abilities 
and limitations. A man cannot be expected to 
know whether he will find the profession of a 
boiler expert to his liking until he has a taste of 
the required work. 

Engineering schools are realizing more and 
more clearly the value of practical experience ob- 
tained in conjunction with technical courses. Sta- 
tistics from ten representative institutions indi- 
cate that in the year 192 1- 1922 there were be- 
tween three and four times as many men taking 
co-operative technical courses as there had been 



SUMMER WORK 



177 



eight years previous, while the number of regu- 
lar students during this period had increased only 
some 33 1/3 per cent. It is evident that steps 
are being taken by schools themselves to require 
practical training as a part of every technical 
course. If this has not been done in your school, 
your policy may well be to gain this experience 
through your own initiative. 

Obtaining Proper Experience 

The training to be gained during summers and 
after graduation should be selected upon a long- 
term basis, for this determines your experience 
to a great extent. A short time ago I discussed 
this subject with a man who has carried on an 
increasingly successful business for over thirty 
years. ''Let your plans be laid with a view to 
succeeding when success counts the most," he 
said. ''It does not matter so much what you will 
do when you are five years out of school. It is 
what you will be doing after you have been out 
ten years or more that counts. Succeed if you 
can before you are thirty, but let your success be 
of that kind which leads on to greater achieve- 
ments when you are more than forty.'' 

Before you can be truly successful in the broad- 
est sense, there are at least three things which you 
must acquire by experience: You must know 



178 TACKLING TECH. 

how to control men; you must be able to gain 
the confidence of your employers and co-workers; 
and you must be able to sell your product, whether 
that product is your own services or manufact- 
ured goods. To achieve these ends practical ex- 
perience, as well as natural aptitude and acquired 
knowledge, is demanded. 

Suggestions for Summer Work 

Below is an analysis of the various types of 
summer work open to students. If carefully 
studied this section should aid you in deciding 
what kind of work will give the needed expe- 
rience. 

Engineering Experience and Technical Work 

In this field may be included all work of a fairly 
technical nature which does not include the learning 
of a particular trade. Such, for example, would be: 

Designing and drafting 

Surveying 

Constructive work 

Research work (industrial or professional) 
Trade Occupations 

These include all jobs related directly to specific 
trades. The great value of experience gained here lies 
in obtaining the point of view of the workingman, as 
well as in learning the details of certain tasks through 
actual performance. Examples: 

Machine shop work 

Foundry work 



SUMMER WORK 179 

Forging 

Electrician's work 

Wood turning 
General Industrial Experience 

By this is meant training of a relatively broad nature 
in industrial plants. Such work should give every 
opportunity for studying the various processes and 
methods employed in modern manufacturing. It can 
usually be found best in the departments of : 

Purchasing 

Storing 

Shipping 

Receiving 

General office work (under certain conditions) 

Statistical and Accounting Experience 

This includes work in the accounting department or 
in statistical departments of industrial plants, as well 
as in banks, brokerage houses, accountants' offices, etc. 
The experience is very valuable in teaching the 
methods of recording and to some extent of financing 
used in business. 
Sales Experience 

Certain types of selling are essential in practically 
every field. Training in this work, even for the man 
who does not intend to use the experience directly, is 
very valuable. An analysis of various kinds of sales 
occupations might include: 

Mail order work 

Selling goods to other firms 

Selling goods to individuals (house-to-house can- ' 
vassing, etc.) 

Advertising work 



l8o TACKLING TECH. 

Work for Financial Returns 
Tutoring 

Summer camp counsellor work 
Work as chauffeur 
Running motor boat 
Operating wireless, etc. 
Hotel service 

Suggested Programs 

General recommendations as to what sort 
of summer experiences is most desirable are diffi- 
cult to make; individual cases require special 
treatment. The programs given below, however, 
have actually been followed by many men. The 
suggestions they contain are based upon the ex- 
periences of students well satisfied with the re- 
sults obtained, and upon the recommendations of 
older men who have observed these results. All 
programs, of course, are subject to revision in 
cases where men must carry special courses or 
do other required work during any particular 
summer. 

For the man who leans by choice to strictly 
technical training and who feels that a profes- 
sional field has a special appeal, a plan similar to 
the following is good : 

Summer after First Year 
Surveying or other outdoor work. 
Industrial experience of a general nature. 



SUMMER WORK i8i 

If absolutely necessary work giving the greatest pos- 
sible remuneration rather than the most valuable 
experience. 

Summer AiFXER Second Year 

Trade occupation. 

Summer after Third Year 
Trade occupation. 
Construction work. 

If, on the other hand, you are a student w^ho 
feels more inclined to enter into some particular 
industry or business, your program might be laid 
out as follow^s : 

Summer after First Year 
Selling experience. 
Trade occupation. 

Summer after Second Year 

Selling experience. (Stick to it until you are suc- 
cessful.) 
Industrial experience of a general nature. 
Trade occupation, if not taken the first summer. 
Summer after Third Year 
Industrial experience. 
Statistical or accounting experience. 

Still another plan may be followed by students 
who desire to go into research work. For such 
men a program might be laid out as follows : 

Summer after First Year 

Work of a general industrial nature, in connection with 

a research department if possible. 
Work for financial returns if this is a necessity. 



l82 TACKLING TECH. 

Summer ajfter Second Year 
Industrial research work of a general character. 
Summer after Third Year 

Somewhat more highly specialized work in profes- 
sional or industrial research. 

Getting the Job 

The procedure of actually obtaining ' the posi- 
tion you want is even more a matter of individual 
initiative, judgment, and energy. A few books 
have recently appeared which will be well worth 
your while to consult in this connection.^ Ac- 
cording to these books, and according to the ex- 
perience of a number of students, the following 
points may be emphasized : 

Planning Your Campaign 

Do not trust to chance, or to a burst of last- 
minute energy, but plan out your campaign in 
advance, both as to the line of work you desire 
and, so far as you can, the possible employer. If 
you are going to line up a summer job for the lat- 
ter part of June, for example, begin laying your 
plans in March. Before you do anything else de- 



2 Two excellent books on the subject of getting a job which apply- 
very well to the undergraduate or to recent graduates are: "How to 
Get the Job You Want," by William L. Fletcher, and ^'Finding Your 
Job," by Norman G. Shidle. Mr. Fletcher is a man of wide employ- 
ment experience and is well qualified to handle this subject in all its 
aspects. Mr. Shidle js a more recent graduate and presents his mate- 
rial in a manner especially valuable to the young college or technical 
student. 



SUMMER WORK 183 

termine the kind of position you want to get — 
and know why you want it. Make a memoran- 
dum of this. Have one or two alternatives if 
you wish, but decide definitely on what kind of 
work will be most desirable. 

Obtain a good list of prospective employers. 
To do this utilize fully the following possible 
sources of information and assistance : 

Relatives and friends; business men and social 
acquaintances. 

Former teachers and teachers in your present 
school. 

Former employers. 

Graduates of your school and others especially 
interested, such as co-operating manufac- 
turers, etc. 

Industrial research divisions (school employ- 
ment departments). 

Commercial employment agencies of the 
Y. M. C. A. 

Engineering societies. 

Trade associations and United States govern- 
ment service. 

Letters of Application 

Very probably you will have to make your 
contact with possible employers by letter. Make 
your letters effective. Three essentials for a good 
letter of application are : 



l84 TACKLING TECH. 

1. It must contain the necessary facts. 

2. The thoughts must be expressed in a logical, 

concise, and straightforward manner. 

3. It must be mechanically perfect ; that is, correct 

as to spacing, margins, spelling, neatness, and 
general appearance. 

Before final typing be sure to have your letter 
scrutinized by the severest critic whom you can 
find. The typing should be done by an expe- 
rienced stenographer on standard stationery. This 
will save you time and money in the end. 

Below are shown two good letters of ap- 
plication : 

32 Westland Ave., 
Boston, Mass., 
May 20, 1922. 

Chain Belt Co., 

744 Park St., 

Milwaukee, Wis. 

Gentlemen : 

Inasmuch as I anticipate graduating in the course in 
Mechanical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of 
Technology (Boston Tech.) this coming June, I am taking 
the liberty of writing you with regard to possible openings 
in your concern at that time. 

I am an American citizen, 28 years old. At the age of 
16 I entered a machine shop in Washington, D. C. and 
served there eight years. During this period I attended 
trade and preparatory schools, completed my high school 
education, and attended evening sessions at George Wash- 
ington University. While there I studied liberal arts and 
scientific subjects. 

At the outbreak of the war I entered the first officers' 
training camp and was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in 



SUMMER WORK 185 

the Coast Artillery Corps. My service in the army covered 
a period of two years and four months, ten months of 
which were overseas. In August, 19 19, I was honorably 
discharged as a ist Lieutenant. The following September 
I entered this institution with advanced standing. 

My practical experience includes also that gained 
during school vacations and covers a period of nine years 
spent in machine and forge shops at different manufactur- 
ing plants. Supplemented by school instruction, I have had 
liberal training in the operation of lathes, drill presses, 
milling machines and various other machine tools. At 
present I am a student assistant in the Machine Tool Lab- 
oratory. This, in itself, is an excellent training, as the 
laboratory is equipped with the lathes and most improved 
machine tools. My experience in drafting has been that 
gained in the army, three years at George Washington Uni- 
versity, and three years at Technology. 

The field in which I am directly interested is either 
Sales or Production Engineering. I realize that in order 
to prove of greatest value to a concern I must first occupy 
subordinate positions despite my previous training. This 
I am quite prepared to do. 

With reference to my record and scholarship at the 
Institute I am able to refer you to Professor Edward F. 
Miller, head of the course in Mechanical Engineering. 

Should you be interested, I should be pleased to for- 
ward any further information necessary, or arrange for an 
interview with any representative within a reasonable dis- 
tance of Boston. 

Very truly yours, 

M. B. B. 

Copies of this letter werq sent to sixteen cor- 
porations. The writer received fifteen replies, 
four interviews, and three offers of positions. It 
will pay you to study this letter carefully. The 
style or tone of the letter is particularly worthy of 
your careful consideration. 



l86 TACKLING TECH. 

8i Haddon Road, 
Lexington, Massachusetts, 
May 17, 1921. 

Western Paper Manufacturing Company, 
Springfield, Massachusetts. 

Subject: Application for Position 

Gentlemen : 

I write to ask what opportunity your business can offer 
to a man 27 years of age with average ability, an open mind 
and a capacity for hard work. I write to you because I 
have had several years' experience in the paper industry, am 
interested in it above all other kinds of business and because 
I know your company by reputation to be the kind I should 
like to work with. 

My education is high school and one year at Boston 
University (evenings), where I studied management and 
marketing problems. In the paper business I started at the 
bottom in a mill in Pennsylvania. When I entered the 
service in 1917 I was foreman of a department. Since the 
war I have had some experience in selling, printing, and 
buying — in other words, I have been trying to get an all- 
round knowledge before starting on the job which I shall 
try to make my life work. 

There are personal qualities which have an important 
bearing upon a man's success — such as personality, loyalty, 
enthusiasm, reliability, resourcefulness and initiative — upon 
which I am not competent to speak regarding myself. I 
can say, however, that my health is excellent, I have a pur- 
pose in life, I can accept responsibilities, and I think that 
the army taught me the importance of discipline. I am 
saving a small amount of money regularly. As to char- 
acter, habits and references, I can refer you to people with 
whom I have worked and invite such further investigation 
as you may care to make. 

Because I am married and dependent upon what I earn 
for support I cannot afford to finance myself entirely during 
a trial period ; initial salary, however, is a secondary con- 
sideration. What I desire is an opportunity to demonstrate 
my value to you. May I have the privilege of an interview 
at your convenience? 

Sincerely yours, 

Ernest Tuttle. 



SUMMER WORK 187 

Persistence 

Finally, and perhaps more important than any 
other advice that could be given : Be persistent. 
Stick to your campaign for a job until you get 
results. 

Bibliography 

Barrett, C. R. Getting a Good Job. 

Beveridge, A. J. Young Man and the World, The. 

Bolwell, R. After College, What? 

Gushing, G. H. Some Points to Remember When 

Looking for a Job. 
Dibble, F. A. How to Get a Satisfactory Situation. 
Fletcher, William L. How to Get the Job You Want. 
Fowler, N. C., Jr. How to Get and S^eep a Job. 
Go win, E. B. Occupations; A Textbook in Vocational 

Guidance. 
Gunion, P. C. Selling Your Services. 
Gurtler, F. H. Getting the Position. 
Hendrick, Ellwood. Opportunities in Chemistry. 
Hiscock, G. D. Modern Steam Engineering. 
Horton, C. M. Opportunities in Engineering. 
Lee, J. M. Opportunities in Newspaper Business. 
Maxwell, William. If I Were Twenty-One. 
Merton, H. W. How to Choose the Right Vocation. 
Newell, F. H. Engineering as a Career. 
Rollins, Frank West. What Can a Young Man Do ? 
Shidle, Norman G. Finding Your Job. 



CHAPTER XVI 

THE OTHER THINGS IN LIFE^ 

Till we are built like angels, 

With hammer and chisel and pen 

We will work for ourselves and a woman. 

Forever and ever, amen, 

— RuDYARD Kipling 

Girls and Their Proper Sphere 

It will always be a question in the minds of 
parents, faculty, and students, whether or not 
girls play too large a part in a man's educational 
career. Whenever a man does poor work, or 
is on the verge of expulsion or flunking out, the 
age-old insinuation invariably comes up: ''He 
dallied with women too much" ! 

It is part of a man's education to call upon and 
to go around with girls during his college course. 
The unfortunate type of man who is a recluse in 
this respect is very likely to regret that he has not 
taken advantage of his opportunities. If he has 
not adjusted his relationship with girls in a nor- 
mal manner he is likely to fall into difficulties in 
after life. The man who does not understand 
women is likely to form unsuitable friendships. 



^ In writing this chapter the author is indebted to Mr. Henri Pell 
Junod, who collaborated with him in this work and in selecting quota- 
tions for the chapter headings throughout the book. 

i88 



THE OTHER THINGS IN LIFE 189 

and eventually perhaps to find himself unhappily 
married. Moreover, women are the instinctive 
arbiters of social relations. Their influence in 
training men to adapt themselves to society is an 
almost indispensable factor. A man may be a 
technical genius but unless he knows something 
of social matters as well he will be doomed to 
many a business and financial defeat. The man 
who does not learn to get along with women 
while he is in college is neglecting an important 
lesson which should be mastered. 

Overdoing the Matter 

On the other hand there are many college men 
who rush headlong into the society game and be- 
come enveloped in a whirlpool of social activities, 
which culminates in their scholastic ruin. I recall 
the case of a friend who recently came to a tech- 
nical school. He was interested in his fraternity, 
and in other activities which took a considerable 
portion of his time. Besides these, he insisted on 
attending all of the teas, dances, and theater par- 
ties to which he was invited. As a result he neg- 
lected his studies. Although he managed to "get 
by'' for three years, in the middle of his senior 
year he was forced to drop out. All his trouble 
could easily have been avoided had he but exer- 
cised his better judgment. 



I90 TACKLING TECH. 

There are four things to which every college 
man can devote his time; studies, fraternities, 
activities, and girls. A man has yet to be found 
who can undertake unlimited responsibilities in 
the last three and still carry on the first satis- 
factorily. 

The Happy Medium 

Aristotle said, ''Medium courses are the best/' 
As in the case of the ancients, each man must 
steer his course between his Scylla and Charybdis. 
Many indeed were destroyed between these two 
treacherous hazards, but a strong and firm ^neas 
piloted his vessel safely between them. There is 
a vast difference between going to see a girl or two 
during the week-end and going to a party every 
night. 

A technical student must realize always that 
he has come to school, not necessarily to grind, 
but to work. He must deal with the ''Girl 
Question" in a sensible manner. He cannot per- 
mit himself to acquire the habit of calling inces- 
santly upon a girl, and must be content with be- 
ing in such company a reasonable part of the time. 
Thus a man can obtain all the greatest benefits 
of society but at the same time he will not thwart 
his predominant purpose of gaining a technical 
training. 



THE OTHER THINGS IN LIFE 



191 



Week-Ends 

Week-ends are likely to be the factor in the life 
of a student which actually make or break him. 
There are men who slave all day Sunday in order 
to make up back work. They are satisfied to 
make Saturday night and Sunday a veritable orgy 
of work, for they look on the week-end merely as 
a time to catch up in the work which they have 
neglected during the week. As a matter of fact, 
when it is time for bed Sunday night such men 
too often find that the week-end has been really 
frittered away and that only a few hours of con- 
structive work have been accomplished . 

There are, on the other hand, men who look 
upon Sunday as a day of absolute rest, but their 
rest too often consists of sleeping all the morning 
and sitting in an armchair during the remainder 
of the day. Possibly, to break the monotony they 
glance occasionally at ''Boob McNutt," ''Bring- 
ing up Father," or the "Sporting Section" ! 

The Problem ; 7 

The problem of how to spend your week-ends 
profitably is a big one in itself. Moreover, the 
way in which you solve it now will influence you 
to solve it similarly throughout your life. No 
man wants to look forward to coming home 
Saturday noon when he has a home of his own, 



192 



TACKLING TECH. 



with the prospect of working incessantly till late 
Sunday night on ''hang-over" work from the pre- 
vious week. There is no time like the present to 
begin cultivating the habit of having your week's 
work done when the working week is over. 

It was one of Roosevelt's ideals to fill every 
one of his week-ends with pastimes which were 
worth while. We can do no better than to follow 
in his footsteps. Between Saturday at 12 and 
Monday morning at 8 o'clock there are 44 hours 
available. Look upon these as a reward for your 
honest effort and the completion of your work 
during the week. Then follow Roosevelt's 
scheme, spending your time as you wish to spend 
it, but always to advantage. 

Suggestions 

Below are shown two types of week-ends. 
These are actual plans practiced by two friends 
over a period of four years. 

I 
Sat. P. M. Ball game. 

Go to city (usually 

alone). 
Sat. Night Go to see family or 

friends. 
Sun. A. M. Church and Sunday 

School. 
Sun. P. M. Walk, see museums, 

etc. (usually alone). 



THE OTHER THINGS IN LIFE 193 



Sun. Night 


Go to see friends. 




Go to bed early. 


Sat. P. M. 


2 
Track practice. 




Football game. 


Sat. Night 


Call on girls (with 




fellows). 


Sun. A. M. 


Read a newspaper or 




loaf. 


Sun. P. M. 


Talk with boys or 




play ball 


Sun. Night 


Movies with fellows 




or girls. 



The first of these week-ends is far too circum- 
scribed; the man has accomplished a great deal 
but he has not broadened his relations with his 
fellows, and has been alone too much. The sec- 
ond man, although he has broadened his relations 
with his fellows, has entirely neglected the fact 
that he should try to improve his mind. Below 
is a third plan, by following which a man can 
avoid the dangers of both the first and second 
schemes above and at the same time can accom- 
plish more and widen his outlook on life. 

3 
Sat. P. M. Athletics, sports, or 

tootball game. 
Sat. Night Call upon girls. 

Sun. A. M. Read something worth 

while or go to 

church. 



194 TACKLING TECH. 

Sun. P. M. Get some exercise. 

Sun. Night Help your friends. 

Write letters. 

Call upon a girl. 

See f ami ly and 
friends. 

Bed early. 

Six Purposes of a Week-End 

There are finally six purposes a man may well 
bear in mind when planning his week-ends. 
These are : 

1. To improve his relations with his fellow men. 

2. To improve his mind. 

3. To meet and to get acquainted with girls. 

4. To maintain perfect physical health. 

5. To enjoy the association of family and home 

life. 

6. To learn the lesson of helpfulness to others. 

The man who can properly correlate in his 
week-ends these six points has indeed made a 
great advance toward ultimately gaining success 
and happiness in both his work and play. 

Friends 

Friendship is as old as the ages. It is the most 
sought-after blessing in the universe. It is elu- 
sive — yet elusive only in that men must give of 
themselves to obtain the fullness of it. 

True friendship is not a superficial acquaint- 



THE OTHER THINGS IN LIFE 195 

anceship; it is something deep and firmly founded 
in one's character. A friend is a man who knows 
all your faults — and likes you just the same. He 
is a man who will give you of his time, his money, 
his all; who is never too busy to help you or to 
advise you or to cheer you and who is willing to 
make your problems his own. 

Tests of Friendship 

The true test of friendship is adversity. This, 
indeed, proves the old saying, "A friend in need is 
a friend indeed." The spirit of sacrifice enters 
into every true friendship. No Damon-and-Py- 
thias friendship, no David-and- Jonathan friend- 
ship, comes to the man who does not preach and 
practice the gospel of "give and take." 

The friendships which one makes in life are 
among its rarest blessings. How truly has it 
been said that money and fame matter little as 
compared with friends and the happiness they 
can bring ! 

Obstacles 

The greatest obstacle you will have to face in 
making friends is your own natural reticence. 
In college you must also remember that owing 
to inevitable conditions in the large institutions 
the custom of speaking and conversing freely 



196 TACKLING TECH. 

with other men is far more Hmited than in smaller 
schools and colleges. It is only through your 
own initiative that you can overcome these diffi- 
culties. 

Every day in the classroom, in activities, and 
after hours there are opportunities for you to 
make and cultivate friends. Do not let these 
chances escape you. Meet as many men as you 
can during your first year, for it is there that the 
roots of friendship first spring. After this you 
will find it increasingly easy to enjoy the com- 
pany of men, and you will gain much from every 
new acquaintanceship. 

Giving Yourself a Chance 

In the world of competition you must realize 
that many men will do things well. Then when 
the problem comes of deciding between two men, 
whether it is a matter of letting a contract or ob- 
taining a job or a raise in salary, if the ability 
of the two men is equal the question of friendship 
and capacity for making friends (which is noth- 
ing short of personality) usually decides the 
issue. It is worth everything to cultivate this 
ability and the time to begin is while you are in 
college. Today in business it is the man who 
makes friends first and does business afterwards 
who succeeds in the long run. 



THE OTHER THINGS IN LIFE 197 

Attaining an Ideal 

Friendship is an attainable ideal for everyone 
and it depends upon the individual to what extent 
he will put himself out to gain its full value. Like 
all else in life, it is governed by the principle that 
the more one puts into it the more one will get 
out. 

Build your life upon your friendships. From 
your friends you will gain more happiness, more 
real enjoyment, more of the never-failing bless- 
ings of life than from any other single source of 
pleasure. Through them you will be able to ren- 
der your greatest service. The man who builds 
up his life hopes, ambitions, and achievements 
upon a firm foundation of friendship can safely 
feel that his building is as secure as the great 
pyramids. 

True friendship is a Gordian Knot 
Which Angel hands have tied, 
By heavenly skill its texture wrought — 
Who shall its folds divide? 








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